Biological treatment of contaminated soils under saline environment

A laboratory simulation was conducted to assess the effectiveness of land treatment as a remediation technology for hydrocarbon-contaminated soil treatment associated with the closure of an oil field waste disposal site. The constituents of concern in soils at the site were oil and grease (2-4%), polynuclear aromatics (PAHs) and volatile organics. In addition to the contaminants, the soils were saline. This paper reports that the treatability study results demonstrated that biodegradation of the hydrocarbon contaminants in the saline soil was enhanced by the addition of a commercially available, hydrocarbon-degrading, microbial culture tolerant of high salt concentrations. Contaminant removal by land treatment, including the biodegradation of the PAHs, was enhanced utilizing microbial augmentation in conjunction with nutrient and surfactant addition. The simulation study demonstrated that land treatment achieved the necessary removal of oil and grease. PAHs and VOCs for site closure