Is Bioremediation A Solution for the Treatment of Oily Waste

SPE 78548
Is Bioremediation A Solution for the Treatment of Oily Waste ?
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Claude-Henri Chaîneau*, Jean-Claude Setier** and Anne Morillon*
* TOTALFINAELF, DGEP/SE/ENP
** TOTALFINAELF Exploration Production, CSTJF, DGEP/SE/ENP,
the
Copyright 2002, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc.
th
This paper was prepared for presentation at the 10 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum
Exhibition and Conference, 13-16 October 2002.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review
of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper,
as presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are soil environment. Oil can reach the soil from many sources
subject to correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily
reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. for example oil spills, blowouts, road accidents, leaking of
Papers presented at SPE meetings are subject to publication review by Editorial
Committees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution,
underground storage tanks, and non-controlled landfilling.
or storage of any part of this paper for commercial purposes without the written consent of
the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is
Onshore and offshore drilling operations generate oily
restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The wastes like the drill cuttings that are composed of the
abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper
was presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O. Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, drilling fluid mixed with the subsoil material (mineral
U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435.
matter). There are three major types of fluids or “muds” :
water-based (WBM), oil-based (OBM) and synthetic-based
Abstract (SBM). The release of oily waste has been shown to cause
serious damage to natural ecosystems. The vegetation can
As a general trend in the Oil and Gas industry, the
be totally eliminated for a long period of time in the case of
treatment and disposal of waste is a serious environmental
high inputs of HC (1). In the soil, HC are subjected to
issue. During Exploration and Production activities,
physical (evaporation, leaching, adsorption) and biological
drilling operations may generate oily waste as drill cuttings.
(biodegradation) processes (2,3). Residual HC may persist for
Hydrocarbons may also enter the soil ecosystem in the case
a long time in case of no treatment.
of accidental oil pollution. These wastes are usually
disposed of in a variety of methods including thermal and Physicochemical and biological treatments involving
physico-chemical treatments. Over the last ten years, microorganisms can be used in the decontamination of oily
bioremediation has been considered as a possible wastes. Natural attenuation has been proposed as a
alternative to « classical » treatments since it has been well remediation technique in specific cases of soil and ground-
established that hydrocarbons are prone to be biodegraded. water pollution. Bioremediation, i.e. the stimulation of
This paper presents the scientific principles of microbial degraders for the remediation of contaminated
bioremediation and on-site applications illustrated with environments, has been also proposed as an alternative or
cases of studies : landfarming of drill cuttings, complementary technique to treat soil pollution and oily
biocomposting of hydrocarbons-polluted soils and oily wastes (4). It mainly consist in optimising the environmental
cuttings, natural attenuation hydrocarbons-polluted soil, conditions for the development of naturally occurring
development of biodegradable oil-based mud and pollutant degraders by adding nutrients and maintaining
phytoremediation processes. This publication aims at aerobic conditions if deemed necessary. The concentration
demonstrating that oily waste can be depolluted by of nutrients has to be adjusted to an optimal ratio expressed
biological treatments; however, in-situ biodegradation must as C/N/P. Bioremediation practices are usually site-specific
not be over-estimated. Our experience demonstrates that in (type and concentration of HC, wastes characteristics,
certain local conditions the biological activity is not technical equipment available, type of fertilisers…).
efficient, and the treatment duration becomes a critical Landfarming and composting in piles have been
issue. Systematically, a detailed waste management study, successfully used to treat oily wastes (sludges, soils,
including feasibility, cost, logistics and regulations has to cuttings). Phytoremediation, i.e. the use of plants for the
be completed to verify that bioremediation is the key remediation of contaminated environments, has been
solution for the oily waste treatment and disposal. recently proposed to treat soils polluted by mineral and
organic compounds (5). The action of plants may consist in
Introduction the direct uptake of pollutants. Plant roots also release
Large amounts of hydrocarbons (HC) are extracted, exudates, which stimulate the activity of microorganisms in
produced, refined and handled on land every year and the rhizosphere thus increasing the rates of microbial
despite, improvements in careful handling, transport and biodegradation in the root zone.
containment, there is the possibility that some may enter
2 IS BIOREMEDIATION A SOLUTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF OILY WAST SPE?78548
This paper presents the scientific principles of potential, pH, nutrient status, moisture) (3,4).
bioremediation and on-site applications illustrated with In optimal conditions, linear and branched alkanes are
cases of studies : landfarming of drill cuttings (temperate usually first assimilated. Isoprenoids (farnesane,
zone), biocomposting of hydrocarbons-polluted soils and norpristane, pristane, phytane) resist but are eventually
oily cuttings (tropical zone), natural attenuation in polluted totally assimilated. The persistence of part of the UCM is
soils (temperate zone), development of biodegradable oil- usually observed. The biodegradation of saturated
based mud and phytoremediation processes. hydrocarbons is in the order n > iso > cyclo alkanes (6). The
main part of GC-resolved aromatic compounds is
Principles of bioremediation biodegradable; their biodegradation rate decreasing with
The main process involved in the decontamination of HC- the number of rings and substitution (Fig. 2). In most
polluted environments is microbial biodegradation. It has studies, the polar fraction including resins and asphaltenes
been demonstrated for many years that the main are degraded to a low extent only (< 20%). The exact
components of oil (crude and refined products) are composition of the polar fraction in oils is unknown but it
biodegradable. The degradative capacities of a specific contains aggregates of extended poly-aromatics, naphthenic
microbial population including bacteria, fungi, and algae acids, sulfides, polyhydric phenols, fatty acids and
isolated from soils, sediments and waters have been studied metalloporphyrins. Oils may also contain easily degradable
and well characterised. These HC-degraders are able to polar molecules that are pooled with asphaltenes during
assimilate partially or completely the different components hexane precipitation.
of oil (saturated HC, aromatics, polar molecules…). Stimulation of the HC-degrading populations. Oil is
Attempts to stimulate natural biodegradation of extremely deficient in nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous,
hydrocarbons are referred to as bioremediation techniques potassium). Microorganisms need nutrients for the build up
which consist in modifying the key-factors known to limit of their cellular biomass. Biostimulation usually consist in
biodegradation rates. It mainly consist in optimising the the supply of nutrients to get an optimum C/N/P/K. The
environmental conditions for the development of naturally favourable nutrient conditions for HC bioremediation are
occurring pollutant degraders by adding nutrients and often expressed as C/N/P ratio. The role of potassium in HC
maintaining aerobic conditions if necessary biodegradation has not been intensively studied, yet. The
(biostimulation). The use of plants i.e. phytoremediation to role of K may have been underestimated. The addition of
stimulate the microbial populations in the root zone has nutrients to the recommended values 100/10/1 to 100/50/10
(3,4)
been defined as the rhizosphere effect. The inoculation with and C/K=17 (7) allows an optimal microbial growth and
a mixture of HC-degrading microorganisms with or without the biodegradation of HC. Numerous type of fertilisers can
nutrients (bioaugmentation) has been also proposed as a be used in bioremediation : agricultural fertilisers
remediation strategy. Bioremediation is now considered as (ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, superphosphates,
the most cost-effective treatment method for oily- urea…), slow-release fertilisers or formulations (sulfur-
contaminated soils and petroleum wastes containing coated urea,…) and oleophilic formulations (Inipol,…).
biodegradable hydrocarbons. The positive effect of adding adequate levels of nutrients on
Biodegradability of hydrocarbons. Oil components are HC biodegradation was numerously demonstrated in field
complex mixtures of four classes of compounds : saturated studies and in laboratory experiments. However, the non-
hydrocarbons (linear, branched, cyclic alkanes i.e. effect of fertilisation on aromatic hydrocarbons
naphthenes), aromatic hydrocarbons (mono, di, tri, tetra, biodegradation has scarcely been observed (8). The lack of
penta, hexa-cyclic structures with or without ramifications), effect of nutrients on PAH assimilation can be attributed to
resins and asphaltenes. The proportion of these different the non-stimulation of the aromatic-degrading
classes varies between the type of oil (table 1). The high microorganisms. Recent studies have demonstrated that the
diversity of these molecules in oils reflects the important bacterial populations implicated in HC biodegradation are
range of petroleum products. Saturated and aromatic HC selected depending on the nutrient supply regimen. As a
are usually analysed by gas-chromatography (GC) / mass general trend, adding nutrients usually caused an increase
spectrometry (Fig. 1). The saturated and aromatic fractions of the biodegradation of saturated and aromatic
are completely resolved by GC for the n-alkanes, branched- hydrocarbons. In restricted areas, however, where the
alkanes, some cyclo-alkanes, single and/or alkylated mono- natural background of nutrients is high enough due to
and poly-aromatics. However, the naphthenic fraction and agricultural activities for example, adding nutrients is not
some aromatics are mainly included in an unresolved necessary. In case of high concentrations of oil, the quantity
complex mixture (UCM). UCM is mainly composed of of nutrients requested for the biodegradation may be very
polycyclic alkylated saturated HC and polycyclic alkylated high. In order to avoid toxicity and/or leaching, the inputs
aromatic hydrocarbons. of nutrients have to be fractionated in regular applications.
The fate of petroleum components under controlled and in Microbial oil assimilation is considered to be very low
non-controlled conditions has intensively been investigated. under anoxic or micro-aerobic conditions. Tilling and air
Results proved that most of the components in oils are injection has been proposed to increase the oxygen content
prone to be degraded by microorganisms (table 2) ; the and the penetration of nutrients. Recent studies have also
rates of biodegradation being usually limited by abiotic demonstrated the anaerobic biodegradation of some
environmental factors (temperature, oxygen, redox saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons under strictly anoxic
SPE 78548 C.H. CHAINEAU, J.C. SETIER, A. MORILLON 3
conditions. But these processes seem to be for the moment seeds indicating no uptake of oil. The field was turned back
of little significance in most of soil environments. into its previous agricultural use without any more
Phytoremediation has been proposed as an in-situ technique spreading.
for cleaning oil-contaminated sites (9). The enhancement of
HC biodegradation in the root zone caused by an increase Case 2 : Bioremediation of a crude oil-polluted clay soil
of HC bioavailability and by a stimulation of microbial in a temperate zone (14)
populations through plant exudation has been Considering the areas required by landfarming, a method
demonstrated. The positive physical effects of plants on soil for reducing treatment surfaces was searched. Composting
environmental conditions may also accelerate the rates of was selected as a suitable one. Natural biodegradation of
biodegradation. However, the effects of plants on HC hydrocarbons by the existing flora (bacteria, fungi) is
biodegradation must not be overestimated. improved by appropriate preliminary material preparation :
Bioaugmentation of the HC-degrading populations. In oxygen, organic matter and nutrients input.
most of environments, the indigenous microbiota contains The methodology selected was a multi-parametric approach
HC-degraders that are able to use oil as sole source of : material preparation and mixing with bulking agents,
carbon and energy. After exposure to oil contaminants, organic matter, nutrients proportion, oxygen input process
counts usually reveal that natural-occurring oil degrading (static ventilation with blower and/or mechanical mixing).
microbial populations increase ; the yield of growth being The bioremediation potential of a crude oil polluted soil
maximal with a nutrient supply. was evaluated in a controlled pilot experiment. The
The positive effect of seeding HC-degrading combined fate and effects of hydrocarbons (HC) on the soil
microorganisms in soils or waters is still debated (10). ecosystem of a highly oil contaminated soil were studied
However, seeding cultures of oil-degrading populations during 480 days (d). The assessments of the HC removal
may be useful in the case of ex-situ treatment of oily wastes rates, of the HC and metabolites mobility and of the
that are not naturally colonised by such microorganisms. potential toxicity were performed. A clayey soil was
polluted by 20 g HC kg-1 dry soil. It was treated in a static-
Case 1 : Land treatment of oil-based drill cuttings in an ventilated biopile and in a series of five windrows
agricultural soil (11) periodically tilled in order to determine the relative
The landfarming or land treatment process has been used as influence of nutrients, bulking agents, aeration and soil
a method for the treatment and disposal of oily sludges temperature on HC biodegradation. Infrared spectrometry,
produced at refineries. It consists of spreading wastes on a gravimetry, gas chromatography and Pollut-Eval analyses
prepared area cleared of vegetation and ploughed (Table 3). were regularly performed. After 480 d, between 70% to
Regular tilling and amendments fulfil the requirements of 81% of the initial HC were removed through biological
oil-degrading microorganisms. A maximum oil-loading processes in fertilised soils, whereas natural attenuation
rate of 10 kg/m² is recommended to avoid leaching and without nutrients was 56% (Fig. 5). When adding
vertical infiltration of light hydrocarbons (12, 13). fertilisers, residual pollution mostly consisted in a heavy oil
Based on these principles, a new method was developed in fraction. These residual HC were cyclic compounds
France with oily drill cuttings (DC) through a scientific including naphthenes, aromatics and resins poorly
research test involving the authorities partnership. Cuttings biodegraded and strongly trapped on the organo-mineral
were spread on an agricultural land field on an extensive matrix. Very low concentrations (<5 mg/l) of HC and
basis (15, 30 and 60 T DC ha-1) to allow crops cultivation. water-soluble metabolites were observed during the first
The cuttings contained 10% of hydrocarbons (fuel oil). stages of biodegradation in the leachates. After 480 d, no
Standard agricultural practices, including regular soil more HC was detected in the percolating water. The whole
tillings and fertilisers inputs, were performed during three quantity of the leachates was collected and recycled on the
growing seasons. Periodic soil samplings were carried out soils. Maximal toxicity was observed immediately after the
for agronomic and microbial analyses in laboratory. oil pollution then decreased when significant
Concentration and chemical composition of hydrocarbons biodegradation proceeded. No toxic effect was recorded on
in the soil profile (0-80 cm) were periodically determined. worms survival nor inhibition on seed germination at the
The decrease in HC concentration was proportional to the end of the experiment. The results obtained were
loading rates and due to microbial biodegradation. 50% of considered as satisfactory as the abatement of TPH (Total
the degradation occurred the first year. After two years, Petroleum Hydrocarbons) was maximal and the residual
only 10% of HC were remaining in the soil (Fig. 3). These ecotoxicity regarding living organisms was very low.
molecules are considered to be resistant to biodegradation
and/or absorbed on the mineral-organic matrix preventing Case 3 : Biocomposting of hydrocarbons-polluted soils
from any more microbial assimilation. Vertical infiltration and oily cuttings (tropical zone) (15)
of light hydrocarbons was demonstrated at oil loading rates Composting into piles has been proposed for the ex-situ
higher than 5 kg HC m-². Microbial counts revealed a treatment of oily sludges and polluted soils. Wastes are
strong increase of bacterial populations after the DC mixed with bulking agents (chips of wood, straw, hay…),
spreading. Up to 90% of the bacterial population was able fresh organic matter and nutrients (Table 3). The
to degrade HC (Fig. 4). Phytotoxic effects on crops were decomposition of the organic matter by microorganisms
low. Fuel oil HC were not detected in the plants and in the induces an elevation of the temperature.
Recent experiments of TotalFinaElf carried out on farmland support for the microbial attachment of non-motile
demonstrated the feasibility of the land farming process. It microorganisms. Water hyacinths, duckweeds, rooted
is possible to overcome the large surface areas required for macrophytes (Phragmites australis, Sirpus lacustris, Typha
land farming by pre-treating the materials by composting latifolia, Iris pseudacorus), waterweeds are known to have
and activating aerobic biodegradation by regular turning a benefit effect on waste waters depollution (16).
(windrows) or by forced ventilation (biopiles). An industrial Microorganisms and plants need nutrients for the build up
pilot designed for the treatment of several thousands of of their cellular biomass. A competition for nutrient uptake
cubic meters was installed in Indonesia. A three year- can occur in the case of planted contaminated soils. The
program (2000-2003) is underway in close co-operation optimum C/N/P/K proportion for microbial degradation of
with the Indonesian Authorities and the Universities fuel oil HC in the rhizosphere was estimated 100/13/5/6 (7).
laboratories. Oily cuttings (desaromatized oil) and highly If phytoremediation with cultivated plants is to be used, the
polluted soils are decontaminated by active bioremediation. N, P and K fertilisation should be adjusted to adequate
Monitoring consists in periodical measurements of levels to compensate for the needs of plant nutrition. Beside
chemical analyses (TPH content, nutrient content, soil the positive effects of exudation on microbial communities,
moisture) and microbial counts (total heterotrophic the plant development has other impacts on local
microbiota and HC-degraders : bacteria, fungi). The first environmental soil parameters. Living plant roots cause
results indicated a high biodegradability potential of the significant changes in the physical chemical and biological
oily wastes : about 60% of biodegradation occurred in six properties of the soil by their action on moisture conditions,
months. The extent of biodegradation will be determined in pH, water content, temperature, oxygen tension, soil
the light of laboratory works and ecotoxicity measurements. adsorptivity. They also exert important effects on the soil
In the future, the size of the pilot process will be increased structure through mechanical action, decompaction,
to treat internally soils and or other oily wastes. perforation of aggregates exposing the organic matter to
decomposition by microorganisms. The combination of an
Case 4 : Phytoremediation processes adequate N/P/K fertilisation and the selection of highly
Phytoremediation, i.e. the use of plants for the remediation tolerant plant species could have overall beneficial effects
of contaminated environments, has been recently proposed on HC biodegradation and might also improve the
to treat soils polluted by organic compounds and heavy stabilisation of contaminated soils. It should be pointed out
metals. that most of the studies are obtained on slightly
Internal works showed that at concentrations compatible contaminated environments. Plants can tolerate up to 1 to
with plant growth, the rhizosphere of selected plants had an 2% as a maximum HC concentration compatible with a
influence on biodegradation rates. The dissipation of reasonably good plant growth (Table 3). In the case of
hydrocarbons was accelerated in the presence of living higher inputs as usually occur in accidental spillage, the
plant roots (7). Direct uptake of hydrocarbons by the plant phytotoxicity properties of HC would not allow a correct
itself did not appear to be a significant process. Up to 20% plant development thus restricting the phytoremediation
of increase in early stages of biodegradation of petrogenic effect.
HC was recorded in the rhizosphere as compared to
unplanted soil. Saturated and aromatic HC were more Case 5 : Natural attenuation hydrocarbons-polluted soil
rapidly degraded in presence of plants. The difference (temperate zone)
between control and planted soils appeared as soon as plant Monitored natural attenuation can be an interesting
growth was exponential, allowing for the installation of the alternative to more intrusive costly site remediation
root system that caused a large soil-root contact. Maize was scenarios (Table 3). However, the experience has shown
used as a plant model that produces exudates, which are that monitored natural attenuation is often implemented at
composed of various substances ranging from low M.W. sites where conditions are often inappropriate. Since the
molecules (sugars, proteins, organic acids and uronic acids) demonstration of a natural attenuation is often complex and
to high M.W. mucilages. Exudates can act as promoters for costly, there was a need for a decision-support tool, capable
biodegradation by providing alternative carbon sources or of identifying sites where natural attenuation is most likely
growth factors that stimulate the development of bacterial to be a feasible site management strategy using a limited
populations. They may also have an influence on the amount of information. The SITE II® software was
bioavailability of HC due to their surfactant properties. developed by scientists from the École Polytechnique de
When plant growth was exponential, total bacterial counts Montréal to evaluate the natural attenuation potential of
were about 10 times higher in the rhizosphere than in the petroleum-hydrocarbon contaminated sites. In 1999, a five-
root-free systems. The R/S ratio (rhizospheric year research program was launched in an oil refinery to
microorganisms / non-rhizospheric microorganisms) validate the natural attenuation potential of the site. First,
ranged from 4 to 55 in the soil. R/S varied between 100 and historical soil characterisation data were used to evaluate
600 for plants developing on and/or in the water, which the natural attenuation potential of the entire 200-ha site.
indicates that the stimulation is much more important in Based on these findings, a two-level covariate experimental
the liquid. It is known that plant roots have a direct effect design using contaminant concentration and the natural
on microbial populations due to the local environmental attenuation potential index generated by the software as
conditions they create. Root hairs are also used as physical variables lead to the identification of four experimental
plots. A geostatistical analysis was conducted on the the treatment of waste contaminated with metals and heavy
historical data to define the sampling grid density. 25 hydrocarbons including potential carcinogenic poly-
sampling points on each test plot were necessary to observe aromatic-hydrocarbons (>4 cycles) partially or completely
a statically significant response over the five-year program. resistant to biodegradation (3, 4, 13). For example, the
Monitoring consists of collecting soil and gas samples inherent biodegradability of Bunker C (Fuel n°6) is limited
yearly, and in determining the evolution of specific to 10% partially due to its high content of poly-aromatics.
geochemical, chemical and microbiological data. The The experience gained with the different methods of
samplings of all four plots started in 2000 and were biotreatments suggests that the residue of oil degradation if
performed on a yearly basis. any, is adsorbed on the soil matrix and has no noticeable
effect on the environment. However, the endpoint of
Case 7 : Improvement in the biodegradability of oil- bioremediation treatments have to be determined in the
based muds light of chemical analyses to assess the final biodegradation
Onshore and offshore drilling operations generate oily stage and, with appropriate toxicity tests to determine the
wastes like the drill cuttings that are composed of the impact of treated material on the environment.
drilling fluid mixed with the subsoil material (mineral Systematically, a detailed waste management study,
matter). There are three major types of fluids or “muds” : including feasibility, cost, logistics and regulations has to
water-based (WBM), oil-based (OBM) and synthetic-based be completed to ensure that bioremediation is the key
(SBM). OBM are used because of their physical properties solution for the oily waste treatment and disposal.
allowing for drilling in particular layers. The original
OBM’s were based on classical fuel oil with a high Acknowledgements
aromatic content (20-30%). Due to this aromatic content The authors wish to thanks the following partners involved
and its associate toxicity, they have been progressively in bioremediation research programs : COPAREX,
superseded by desaromatised fuel oil i.e. paraffinic oil. New PERTAMINA MPS, MNHN, IFP, ITB, UNMUL, GESTER
formulations of oil-based mud are now a mixture of linear, and TVD.
branched-alkanes and naphthenes that are almost totally
biodegradable and with no noticeable effect on the
environment. The use of bioremediation as a treatment References
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Table 1 : Chemical composition of different types of petroleum products.
Composition (%)
Saturated HC Aromatic HC Resins Asphaltenes
Gasoline 40 60 0 0
Jet fuel 80 20 0 0
Fuel oil 70 20 10 0
Fuel n°6 25 50 10 15
Arabian Light 50 30 10 10
Dubai 47 37 8 8
Egypt 80 17 1 2
Nigerian 90 2 5 3
Angola 36 41 18 5
Crude Oil
Shengli 50 27 8 8
Indonesia 86 9 4 1
Maya 33 39 18 10
Venezuela 52 29 12 7
France 70 18 7 5
Table 2 : Biodegradability of hydrocarbons in optimal conditions.
Crude and refined oils Biodegradability (%)

Gasoline 100
Jet fuel 90-100
Naphthas, Condensates 90-100
Diesel oil 80-90
Fuel oil 80-85
Heavy fuel oil 10-50
Crude oil 40-70
Lubricating oil 30-75
Table 3 : Limits and advantages of biological treatments.
Biological treatments Advantages Limitations

• Slower than any other
bioremediation technique
• Biodegradation may represent a
• No human intervention
Natural attenuation In situ small extent of total losses
• No operational costs
• Requires adapted monitoring
• Intrinsic biodegradability of oily
wastes
• Very effective • Treatment duration : 6-12 months
In situ
• Limited disturbance • Requires adapted monitoring
Landfarming • Intrinsic biodegradability of oily
• Very effective
Ex situ wastes
• Controlled process
• Excavation required
• Very effective in a short • Maximal oil concentration 15%
Composting Ex situ period of time (< 6 month) • Intrinsic biodegradability of oily
Bioremediation • Strictly controlled process wastes
• Oil contamination must be shallow
• Well-suited to large areas
• High concentrations of HC (>2%)
• Favorable site seeing impact
are phytotoxic
• Improves soil quality
Phytoremediation In situ • Time is required for plant growth
• Prevents soil erosion
to allow the rhizosphere effect
• Can be performed with
• Intrinsic biodegradability of oily
landfarming
wastes
2
UCM
UCM
Fig 1 :Gas chromatographic analyses of the saturated (1, A) and aromatic (2,B) fractions of two crude oils (Arabian light 1-2
(BAL 150), crude A-B (Villeperdue, France). The numbers represent the carbon number of n-alkanes; intermediate peaks
are branched alkanes and/or GC-resolved PAHs. NPH, naphthalenes; FLU, fluorenes; DBT, dibenzothiophenes; PHN,
phenantrenes; CHR, chrysene; C1-C4, number of alkyl substitutions; UCM, unresolved complex mixture.
Fig. 2. GC analyses of drilling cuttings hydrocarbons during biodegradation in optimal conditions (IS, internal standard)
700
HC concentrations in soils over time
plot 1
600
plot 2
500 plot 3
HC conc (g/m²)
400
300
200
100
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
time (days)
Fig. 3. HC concentrations in soils over time during the landtreatment of oil-based cuttings (plot 1 : 15 t / ha, plot 2 : 30 t / ha,
plot 3 : 60 t/ha).
Fig. 4. Microbial counts in treated (plot 3) and non-treated (control) soils in a landfarming experiment (○ : total heterotrophic
bacteria in the control, ● : HC-degraders in the control, □: total heterotrophic bacteria in the treated plot, ■ : HC-
degraders in the treated plot).
Fig. 5. HC concentrations in polluted soils over time during active bioremediation (○ : biopile, ● : windrows).

Is Bioremediation A Solution for the Treatment of Oily Waste

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SPE 78548

Is Bioremediation A Solution for the Treatment of Oily Waste ?

Table 1 : Chemical composition of different types of petroleum products.

Table 2 : Biodegradability of hydrocarbons in optimal conditions.

Crude and refined oils Biodegradability (%)

Table 3 : Limits and advantages of biological treatments.

Biological treatments Advantages Limitations

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