Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Environmental Contaminationas a Result of Flooding: A Case Study of Heating Oil Pollution in the Red River Valley
EPA Grant Number: R828081E02Title: Environmental Contaminationas a Result of Flooding: A Case Study of Heating Oil Pollution in the Red River Valley
Investigators: Tilotta, David C. , Pyle, Sally J. , Kozliak, Eugene
Institution: University of North Dakota
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: May 1, 2000 through August 31, 2003
Project Amount: $207,000
RFA: EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) (1999) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: EPSCoR (The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research)
Objective:
Floods and flooding often result in widespread contamination that poses both immediate and long-term threats to human health and the environment. The environmental consequences of flooding, however, can be extremely complex and difficult to asses because of their large spatial extent, including multiple sources, sinks, and types of pollutants, and because of their potential effects on nearly all components of the environment. The objective of this research project was to develop methods for the efficient remediation of heating oil from contaminated building materials, based on the most significant problems identified as a result of the 1997 flood of the Red River Valley. The research used Grand Forks, ND, as a "backyard laboratory" to assess the magnitude, nature, and extent of environmental contamination caused by heating oil as a result of the 1997 flood.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Retention/leaching and bioremediation of n-hexadecane and naphthalene absorbed in building grade concrete were investigated. Retention studies showed that up to 20 mg of n-hexadecane were irreversibly absorbed per 1 gram of concrete (not leached out by either water or aqueous solutions of surfactants). Bioremediation studies were conducted using three naturally occurring bacterial strains, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa PG201 and soil microorganisms. Incubation of contaminated concrete pieces with bacterial suspension in shaking flasks resulted in the biodegradation/biotransformation of 8-19 percent of n-hexadecane or 28-35 percent of naphthalene, whereas neat hydrocarbons were completely degraded. Naphthalene removal was similar with and without bacteria, and only the destination of the labeled carbon was different. Direct application of biomass on contaminated concrete ("overlay procedure") proved to be more efficient. Up to 70-80 percent of n-hexadecane and 20-55 percent of naphthalene (up to 80 percent combined with evaporation) were removed when using agar plates or filter paper with biomass. Overlay protocols using large amounts of water proved to be more efficient for the biological removal of naphthalene but detrimental for the removal of n?hexadecane. The latter was greater with low amounts of water. Evidence obtained shows that the hydrocarbon diffusion within the pores of concrete is the rate-limiting step for bioremediation.
Flood-induced hydrocarbon contamination of building grade wood and its bioremediation were investigated. Naphthalene was detected throughout the entire 5-9 cm wood pieces in 24 hours. A nearly uniform pollutant distribution was observed within 4 days of application, except for the 5-mm subsurface layer that retained larger amounts of the contaminant. Bioremediation of naphthalene-contaminated wood was investigated in a bench-scale feasibility test using natural soil bacteria. The biomass was brought in contact with contaminated wood either by the incubation of the specimens with aqueous bacterial suspension (shaking flasks) or by their application on agar or filter paper with previously grown biomass ("overlay" technique). In shaking flasks, the presence of biomass did not accelerate pollutant leaching but altered the destination of 14C in naphthalene, which was converted into water-soluble metabolites. Overlay procedures showed a significant acceleration of pollutant removal by biomass. Because of bioremediation combined with evaporation, naphthalene was nearly completely removed in the overlay experiments (up to 90-98 percent) in 2-4 days from freshly contaminated 6-mm- and 17-mm-thick wood. Pollutant mass transfer within wood was shown to be the rate-limiting step. The presence of other hydrocarbons (fuel oil) impeded naphthalene bioremediation.
Conclusions:
Feasibility studies have been conducted for the removal of hydrocarbons absorbed in wood and concrete as a result of spills and floods. Bacteria can be used to facilitate the removal of hydrocarbons adsorbed on porous household surfaces. Up to 85-95 percent of naphthalene can be removed in 4-30 days from both wood and concrete using adhered bacteria (on filter paper for naphthalene and on agar for hexadecane).
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 6 publications | 2 publications in selected types | All 2 journal articles |
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Type | Citation | ||
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Beklemishev MK, Kozliak EI. Bioremediation of concrete contaminated with n-hexadecane and naphthalene. Acta Biotechnologica. 2003;23(2-3):197-210. |
R828081E02 (Final) |
not available |
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Beklemichev MK, Popova IE, Kozliak EI. Bioremediation of naphthalene-contaminated wood. Bioremediation Journal. |
R828081E02 (Final) |
not available |
Supplemental Keywords:
flood, flood contamination, heating oil, heating oil pollution, human health, fuel oil, bioremediation, environment, contamination, Red River Valley, Grand Forks, North Dakota, ND, n-hexadecane, naphthalene, Pseudomonas aeruginosa., Scientific Discipline, Health, Air, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, TREATMENT/CONTROL, Geographic Area, Waste, Environmental Chemistry, Health Risk Assessment, Treatment Technologies, Remediation, State, Risk Assessments, Environmental Monitoring, Ecological Risk Assessment, Ecology and Ecosystems, indoor air, chemical spill characterization, floods, buildings, contaminants, heating oil spills, contaminated building material, adverse human health affects, hazardous waste, human exposure, flood related environmental contamination, indoor air quality, bioremediation, human health risk, contaminated building materials, North Dakota (ND)Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.