Bioremediation of oil sludge-contaminated soil

Bioremediation has become an important method for the restoration of oil-po lluted environments by the use of indigenous or selected microbial flora. S everal factors such as aeration, use of inorganic nutrients or fertilizers and the type of microbial species play a major role in the remediation of o il-contaminated sites. Experiments were undertaken for bioremediation of oi l sludge-contaminated soil in the presence of a bacterial consortium, inorg anic nutrients, compost and a bulking agent (wheat bran). Experiments were conducted in glass troughs for the 90-day period. Bulked soil showed more r apid degradation of oil compared to all other amendments. During the experi mental period, wheat bran-amended soil showed 76% hydrocarbon removal compa red to 66% in the case of inorganic nutrients-amended soil. A corresponding increase in the number of bacterial populations was also noticed. Addition of the bacterial consortium in different amendments significantly enhanced the removal of oil from the petroleum sludge from different treatment unit s. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.