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SITE TECHNOLOGY CAPSULE: BIOGENESIS SOIL WASHING TECHNOLOGY
Citation:
Bannerjee, P. SITE TECHNOLOGY CAPSULE: BIOGENESIS SOIL WASHING TECHNOLOGY. EPA/540/SR-93/510, 1993.
Impact/Purpose:
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Description:
Soil washing technologies are designed to transfer contaminants from soil to a liquid phase. The BloGenesis™ soil washing technology uses a proprietary surfactant solution to transfer organic contaminants from soil to wastewater. The surfactant used in the soil washing process was selected to enhance biodegradation to further reduce residual contaminant levels. The BioGenesis™ soil washing process was evaluated under the SITE program at a refinery where soil was contaminated with crude oil. Chemical analyses results show that levels of total recoverable petroleum hydrocarbons (TRPH), an indicator of degraded crude oil, decreased by 65 to 73 percent in washed soils. The TRPH's in residual soils were allowed to biodegrade in a laboratory for an additional 180 days. Results Indicate that soil washing and biodegradation together removed 85 to 88 percent of TRPH In treated soil after 120 days. Further reductions in TRPH levels were not observed after 120 days. Biogenesis expects that TRPH levels in treated soil from the site will eventually be reduced to levels that meet regulatory requirements for use as fill material. TRPH concentrations in wastewater range from 76 to 1,500 milligrams/Liter (mg/L). Large amounts of fine particles were present In the wastewater. Approximately 3,500 gallons (gal) of wastewater were generated during each run because the wastewater was not recycled. Wastewater generated during the SITE demonstration was treated at the refinery’s treatment facility.