Surfactant-nutrient mix-enhanced bioremediation of soil/aquifers

Abstract

Our research involves the development of economically feasible surfactant/surfactant-nutrient mix (SSNM) -enhanced bioremediation methodology for sustainable, in situ bioremediation of fuel-contaminated aquifers via in vitro column-based optimization of an effective SSNM and 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: coco amphodiacetate: surfactant-nutrient X = 0, I 5: 0, I 5: 0,05 g/L, respectively; 60-64% of the initial amount of kerosene in the "packed" saturated soil matrix, has been eluted from it during -30 days, compared with -87% of toluene during the same time period and 68% of kerosene biodegradation in "vessel" settings, in 21 days, In conclusion: The indigenous microorganisms present in the vaduse zones of fuel-contaminated sandy soil aquifers are capable of removing up to ~81 % of the initially contained kerosene in ~42 days, Optimized SSNMs enhance both, mobilization of the balky NAPLs and the desorbtion/solubilization/ dispersion of the entrapped NAPL which, in tum, facilitate their enhanced biodegradation,