composting of organic waste for enhanced bioremediation of pahs contaminated soils

207 Pages·2017·2.15 MB·English

by  Borislava Lukic

COMPOSTING OF ORGANIC WASTE
FOR ENHANCED BIOREMEDIATION
OF PAHS CONTAMINATED SOILS
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PhD Thesis Committee

Reviewers

Prof. Paolo Roccaro
University of Catania
Catania, Italy

Dr. Ana Paula de Campos Mucha
CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research
University of Porto
Porto, Portugal

Examiners

Dr. Hab. E.D. van Hullebusch
Université Paris-Est
Marne-la-Vallée, France

Dr. D. Huguenot
Université Paris-Est
Marne-la-Vallée, France

Promotor

Prof. G. Esposito
University of Cassino and Southern Lazio
Cassino, Italy

Co-Promotors

Prof. Michel Madon
Université Paris-Est
Marne-la-Vallée, France

Prof. P.N.L. Lens
UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
Delft, The Netherlands

Co-Supervisor

Dr. A. Panico
Telematic University Pegaso
Naples, Italy

This research was conducted under the auspices of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate
Environmental Technologies for Contaminated Solids, Soils, and Sediments (ETeCoS3).

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Joint PhD degree in Environmental Technology

Docteur de l‘Université Paris-Est
Spécialité : Science et Technique de l‘Environnement

Dottore di Ricerca in Tecnologie Ambientali

Degree of Doctor in Environmental Technology

Tesi di Dottorato – Thèse – PhD thesis

Borislava Lukić

Composting of organic waste for enhanced bioremediation of PAHs contaminated
soils

To be defended December 15th, 2016

In front of the PhD committee

Prof. Paolo Roccaro Reviewer
Dr. Ana Paula de Campos Mucha Reviewer
Dr. Hab. Eric D. van Hullebusch Examiner
Dr. David Huguenot Examiner
Prof. Giovanni Esposito Promotor
Prof. Michel Madon Co-Promotor
Prof. Dr. ir. Piet Lens Co-Promotor
Dr. Antonio Panico Co-Supervisor

Erasmus Joint doctorate programme in Environmental Technology for Contaminated Solids, Soils
and Sediments (ETeCoS3)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... vii
List of Tables ................................................................................................................. xiv
List of Figures………………………………………………………………………...xvii
List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................................... xx
Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... xxiii
Abstract ......................................................................................................................... xxv
Résumé ..................................................................................................................... xxviiii
Sintesi ........................................................................................................................ xxixx
Samenvatting ............................................................................................................... xxxi
Chapter 1 .......................................................................................................................... 1
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 2
1.1. Soil contamination - global environmental concern .............................................. 2
1.1.1. Contaminated site .............................................................................................. 2
1.1.2. Causes of soil contamination ............................................................................. 2
1.1.3. Contaminated sites and main contaminants in Europe ...................................... 4
1.1.4. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – contaminants of concern.......................... 5
1.2. Bioremediation treatment – Landfarming combined with composting of organic
waste.. ............................................................................................................................... 6
1.2.1. Landfarming treatment ...................................................................................... 6
1.2.2. Composting of organic waste - biostimulation strategy .................................... 7
1.2.2.1. Fruit and vegetable waste .................................................................... 7
1.2.2.2. Food and kitchen waste ....................................................................... 8
1.2.2.3. Sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants............................... 8
1.2.2.4. Buffalo manure .................................................................................... 8
1.3. Objectives .............................................................................................................. 9
1.3.1. General objectives .............................................................................................. 9
1.3.2. Specific objectives ............................................................................................. 9
1.3.3. PAHs indicators ............................................................................................... 10
1.4. Novelty of the project .......................................................................................... 11
1.5. Structure of the thesis .......................................................................................... 12
1.6. References ........................................................................................................... 13
Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................ 18
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 19
2. A review on the efficiency of landfarming integrated with composting as a soil
remediation treatment ..................................................................................................... 20
2.1. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 20
2.2. Features of PAHs ................................................................................................. 27
2.2.1. Structure and physico-chemical characteristics of PAHs ................................ 27
2.2.2. Sources of PAHs .............................................................................................. 31
2.2.3. PAHs in the environment and their bioavailability.......................................... 34
2.3. Landfarming ........................................................................................................ 35
2.3.1. Process design .................................................................................................. 36
2.3.2. Monitoring of operating parameters ................................................................ 39
Types of microorganisms and their abundance .... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Nutrient availability .............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
pH value.... ........................................................................................................... 40
Moisture content .................................................................................................. 40
Process temperature ............................................................................................. 41
Soil texture ........................................................................................................... 41
Features of contaminants ..................................................................................... 42
Contaminants concentration ................................................................................ 43
2.3.3. Limitations of landfarming .............................................................................. 43
Recalcitrant contaminants removal ..................................................................... 44
Microbial population ........................................................................................... 44
Toxicity of contaminants ..................................................................................... 45
Volatilization issues ............................................................................................. 45
Leaching……. ..................................................................................................... 45
Degradation products ........................................................................................... 46
Long-term treatment ............................................................................................ 46
Water requirements .............................................................................................. 46
Treatment area and aeration equipment ............................................................... 46
Microbial activity conditions ............................................................................... 47
2.4. Enhanced landfarming ......................................................................................... 47
2.4.1. Bioaugmentation .............................................................................................. 47
2.4.2. Biostimulation ................................................................................................. 49
2.4.2.1. Composting of organic waste ............................................................ 49
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

2.4.3. Landfarming integrated with composting of organic waste ............................ 50
2.4.3.1. Fate of contaminants in bioremediation treatment of landfarming
integrated with composting ................................................................................. 51
2.4.3.2. Influence of different biomasses used on bioremediation of petroleum
compounds ........................................................................................................... 53
2.5. Conclusions ......................................................................................................... 59
2.6. Acknowledgments ............................................................................................... 59
2.7. References ........................................................................................................... 60
Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................ 71
Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 72
3. Evaluation of PAHs removal efficiency in an artificial soil amended with
different types of organic waste ..................................................................................... 73
3.1. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 73
3.2. Materials and methods ......................................................................................... 75
3.2.1. Chemicals ......................................................................................................... 75
3.2.2. Soil and organic amendments .......................................................................... 75
3.2.3. Soil spiking ...................................................................................................... 76
3.2.4. Composting reactors ........................................................................................ 76
3.2.5. Experimental conditions .................................................................................. 77
3.2.6. Physical and chemical analyses ........................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.2.7. PAHs analyses .................................................................................................. 79
3.2.8. Determination of microbial dehydrogenase activityError! Bookmark not
defined.
3.2.9. Toxicity test ...................................................................................................... 80
3.2.10. Statistics ........................................................................................................... 80
3.3. Results and discussion ......................................................................................... 81
3.3.1. PAH removal ................................................................................................... 81
3.3.1.1. Efficiency of different organic amendments in simulated composting
treatment ............................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.3.1.2. Volatilization and leaching................................................................ 88
3.3.2. Bioassays ......................................................................................................... 89
3.3.2.1. Dehydrogenase activity (DHA) in bio-reactors ................................ 89
3.3.2.2. Soil toxicity ....................................................................................... 90
3.4. Conclusions ......................................................................................................... 93
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
3.5. Acknowledgments ............................................................................................... 93
3.6. References ........................................................................................................... 94
Chapter 4 ...................................................................................................................... 100
Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 101
4. Importance of organic amendments characteristics on bioremediation of PAH-
contaminated soil .......................................................................................................... 102
4.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 102
4.2. Materials and methods ....................................................................................... 104
4.2.1. Chemicals ....................................................................................................... 104
4.2.2. Soil ................................................................................................................. 104
4.2.3. Organic amendments ..................................................................................... 104
4.2.4. Soil spiking procedure ................................................................................... 105
4.2.5. Experimental set up ....................................................................................... 107
4.2.6. Sampling ........................................................................................................ 107
4.2.7. Soil and waste analysis .................................................................................. 107
4.2.8. PAHs analysis ................................................................................................ 108
4.2.9. Statistical analyses ....................................................................................... 1099
4.3. Results and discussion ..................................................................................... 1099
4.3.1. Temperature profiles and pH values during bioremediation ....................... 1099
4.3.2. TOC degradation and C:N:P ratio influence .................................................. 111
4.3.3. Biochemical components of organic matter .................................................. 113
4.3.3.1. Fractionation of organic residues .................................................... 113
4.3.3.2. Heterogeneity in protein content ..................................................... 115
4.3.3.3. Efficiency of organic residues related to their biochemical
components ........................................................................................................ 116
4.3.4. LMW and HMW PAH residues ..................................................................... 118
4.4. Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 123
4.5. Acknowledgments ............................................................................................. 123
4.6. References ......................................................................................................... 124
Chapter 5 ...................................................................................................................... 130
Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 131
5. Influence of activated sewage sludge amendment on PAHs removal efficiency
from a real contaminated soil: application of the landfarming treatment…..Error!
Bookmark not defined.
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