Methodological approaches to evaluation of efficiency of new biotechnologies for remediation of soils contaminated with oil and oilfield liquids

Abstract

© 2018 Neftyanoe Khozyaistvo. All rights reserved. Currently available is a wide range of biotechnologies for remediation of oil-polluted areas. These are based on application of hydrocarbon oxidizing microorganisms, humic compounds, and sorbents, which have various efficiency depending on the nature of pollution, climatic conditions, grain size distribution, and soil type. The purpose of the present research effort is to summarize the lessons learned in evaluation of the performance of new biotechnologies for remediation of soils contaminated with oil or oilfield liquid. Integrated performance assessment of biotechnologies for soil remediation should include the following diagnostic blocks: determination of oil product content, agrochemical and microbiological parameters, toxicological characteristics, mutagenicity of soil samples and phytoproductivity. Infrared spectrometry is recommended for determination of petroleum product content. This method provides for extraction of petroleum products from soil using tetrachloride carbon, chromatographic separation from associated organic compounds of other classes and quantitative analysis based on intensity of infrared absorption. Determination of agroecological parameters in soil samples involves рН of aqueous and salt extracts, chlorides, sulfates, dissolved solids of aqueous extract, humic matter, alkali hydrolyzable nitrogen, labile phosphorous compounds and exchange potassium. Microbiological monitoring includes determination of the amount of hydrocarbon oxidizing, heterotrophic microorganisms, micromycetes, total microbial biomass and basal respiration. Analysis of soil mutagenic activity is a part of soil assessment process. Of the several technologies available for identification of mutagenes, the most common are tests on microorganisms, fruit fly, in vitro tests using mammal cell cultures, mammalian in vivo micronucleus tests.