Use of activated peat for remediation of soils contaminated with petroleum products

Abstract

One of the most serious environmental problem in the Far North of the Russian Federation is the pollution of the territory by oil and oil products. Ecosystems of this region are extremely vulnerable, their remediation after anthropogenic impact, such as spill of fuels, can last for decades. This is the reason for necessity of the development of effective methods for cleaning and restoring oil-contaminated lands. As a result of undertaken laboratory study, the possibility of bioremediation of soils contaminated with oil products using activated peat as a sorbent and organic fertilizer was shown. Two weeks after the addition of activated peat, the content of petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil decreased by 22-47% due to dilution of pollution and improvement of air and nutrient regime. After reclamation, the germination rate of the seeds of a test culture increased by 1,6-3,7 times. The optimum amount of peat required for adding into contaminated sandy soil, depending on the degree of contamination, has also been established. Based on the studies, recommendations for the remediation of the contaminated area of 0.07 ha located in the north-west of the Murmansk region using peat and mineral fertilizers were developed.