Surfactant-nutrient mix-enhanced bioremediation of soil/aquifers

Abstract

Our research involves the development of economically feasible surfactant/surfactant-nutrientmix (SSNM) - enhanced bioremediation methodology for sustainable, in situ bioremediationof fuel-contaminated aquifers via in vitro column-based optimization of an effective SSNMand the study of its effect on the solubilization/mobilization and biodegradation of NAPL(fuel) in in vitro site/aquifer-simulated bioremediation, The essence of our findings:kerosene's maximum enhanced mobilization - f= 3,6, compared with that of deionized water,was achieved with an SSNM having the composition of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate: cocoamphodiacetate: surfactant-nutrient X = 0, I 5: 0, I 5: 0,05 g/L, respectively; 60-64% of theinitial amount of kerosene in the "packed" saturated soil matrix, has been eluted from itduring -30 days, compared with -87% of toluene during the same time period and 68% ofkerosene biodegradation in "vessel" settings, in 21 days, In conclusion: The indigenousmicroorganisms present in the vaduse zones of fuel-contaminated sandy soil aquifers arecapable of removing up to ~81 % of the initially contained kerosene in ~42 days, OptimizedSSNMs enhance both, mobilization of the balky NAPLs and the desorbtion/solubilization/dispersion of the entrapped NAPL which, in tum, facilitate their enhanced biodegradation,