APPLICATION OF BIOLOGICAL MARKER TECHNOLOGY TO BIOREMEDIATION OF REFINERY BY-PRODUCTS

The progress of bioremediation of waste petroleum sludge at Chevron's Perth Amboy, New Jersey, refinery landfarm was evaluated using a ranki ng scale based on refractory biological marker hydrocarbons that are i ndigenous to, and ubiquitous in, crude oils. Of the four samples analy zed from different locations in the landfarm, two were,virtually ident ical and showed an absence of the n-alkanes expected to be found in th e sludge (light biodegradation ranking). Another showed additional par tial degradation of acyclic isoprenoids, e.g., pristane and phytane (m oderate ranking). The fourth sample showed complete n-paraffin and iso prenoid loss, partial alteration of hopanes, and losses of C-27 steran es, C-27 diasteranes, C-27 monoaromatic steroids, and C-26 triaromatic steroids relative to the higher steroid homologs in each of these ser ies (heavy ranking). These results suggest a concomitant preferential loss of steroid hydrocarbons that have the cholestane side;chain and a possible new steroid biodegradation mechanism that is essentially bli nd to the structure of the steroid nucleus. The latter sample also sho wed levels of most polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), suggesting a buildup of these compounds as others were removed. However, some of the smaller PAH (acenaphylene, fluorene, fluoranthene) appear to have decreased. These results suggest that a protocol based on such a biod egradation ranking scale could be used to monitor the progress of bior emediation of oil based refinery wastes.