Bioaugementation for the Enhanced Bioremediation of Petroleum in a Wetland

• Published in: Polycyclic aromatic compounds 1999-12, Vol.14 (1-4), p.231-239
• Main Authors: Simon, Mark A., Bonner, James S., McDonald, Thomas J., Autenrieth, Robin L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: bioaugmentation; bioremediation; contaminated wetlands; petroleum
• ISSN: 1040-6638; 1563-5333
• DOI: 10.1080/10406639908019129

A controlled release of petroleum to assess bioaugmentation for the enhanced bioremediation of petroleum in a wetland was initiated in March 1997. Three treatments were compared to a control, two commercial bioaugmentation products and inorganic nutrients. Eighteen plots were oiled with twenty-one liters of a weathered Arabian medium crude oil. Naphthalene and the associated alkyl substituted naphthalenes comprise the largest percentage of PAH in the petroleum. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) of greater than 3 aromatic rings represented less than 4% of the total target aromatics. Thirty-seven PAH target analytes were quantified by GC-MS. Review of the results for the total target aromatics does not indicate any differences between the treatments. Comparison of the degradation of naphthalene and its substituted homologues indicates decreased degradation with increasing alkylation, a pattern representative of biodegradation. A history of exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons at the test site has resulted in a microbial community acclimated to petroleum hydrocarbons.