Increase in removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during bioremediation of crude oil-contaminated sandy soil

A 2³ full factorial experimental design was adopted to estimate the effects of three variables on the biodegradation of oil during soil bioremediation: bioaugmentation seeding a mixed culture, addition of fertilizer or mineral media, and correction of initial pH of the soil to 7.0. The tests were carried out in polyvinyl chloride reactors with 5.0 kg of crude oil-contaminated soil at 14 g/kg. After screening the variables, soil bioremediation tests were conduced with varied C:N ratios, yielding an increase in biodegradation of the oil heavy fraction from 24 to 65%, consumption of total n-paraffins, and a remarkable decrease in the concentration of residual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of the soil.     

Application of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for the separation of deuterium and hydrogen analogs of aromatic hydrocarbons

Substitution of hydrogen by deuterium in aromatic hydrocarbons can alter various properties significantly. Benzene, toluene, naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, biphenyl and durene are separated from their deuterium analogs by reversed-phase (C₁₈ liquid chromatography with acetonitrile/water mobile phases and ultraviolet detection. Deuterium compounds always elute before the hydrogen analog; possible explanations are given. The elution pattern and retention times of anthracene and phenanthrene were unchanged when D₂O replaced H₂O as the mobile phase component.     

Determining the stoichiometry and binding constants of inclusion complexes formed between aromatic compounds and β-cyclodextrin by solid-phase microextraction coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography

The complexation of native β-cyclodextrin (CD) and seven aromatic compounds, namely, phenetole, toluene, m-xylene, naphthalene, biphenyl, fluorene and phenanthrene, has been studied for first time utilizing a solid-phase microextraction (SPME)–high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The stoichiometries of the analyte:β-CD complexes were found to be either 1:1 or 1:2. The formation of 1:2 complexes was confirmed for naphthalene, biphenyl, fluorene, and phenanthrene only when utilizing relatively high concentrations of β-CD (up to 6.6 mM). The 1:2 stoichiometries were confirmed using the classical modified Benesi–Hildebrand (BH) method. The calculated binding constants for 1:1 stoichiometries (K₁) using the SPME method varied from 115.3 M⁻¹ for toluene to 3510 M⁻¹ for phenanthrene, whereas the corresponding values to the 1:2 stoichiometries (K₃) varied from 7.30 × 10⁵ M⁻² for biphenyl to 9.03 × 10⁶ M⁻² for naphthalene.     

Microbial dynamics in oil-impacted prairie soil

A remote site in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (Osage County, OK) was contaminated with crude oil by a pipeline break in 1992. In 1996, the contaminated soil was bioremediated by blending with uncontaminated soil, prairie hay, buffalo manure, and commercial fertilizers, and spreading in a shallow layer over uncontaminated soil to create a landfarm. The landfarm was monitored for two years for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, soil gases indicative of microbial activity, and for changes in the concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). Levels of hydrocarbon degraders and soil gas indicators of aerobic degradation were stimulated in the landfarm during the first warm season relative to uncontaminated prairie soil. However, these same indicators were less conclusive during the second warm season, indicating depletion of the more easily degradable hydrocarbons, although the landfarm still contained 6,800 mg/kg TPH on the average at the beginning of the second warm season. Methane formation and methanogen counts were clearly stimulated in the first warm season relative to uncontaminated prairie soil, in dicating that methanogenesis plays an important role in the mineralization of hydrocarbons even in these shallow soils.     

Bioremediation of polychlorinated biphenyls degradation capabilities in field lysimeters

The degradation of 4-chlorobiphenyl (4CB) was compared in field lysimeters containing 60 Kg of soil contaminated with 5–10 mg/Kg of polychlorinated biphenyls.Alcaligenes A5, a bacterium carrying a plasmid for 4CB degradation, was inoculated into three lysimeters. When compared to an untreated control, soil samples from water, mineral, and yeast extract treated lysimeters with and without a bacterial inoculum exhibited greater than 10-fold increases in the rate of [1-¹⁴ C-acetate incorporation into lipids and¹⁴CO₂ production from [U-¹⁴C-4-chlorobiphenyl. Gene probe analyses for the 4CB plasmid and most-probable-number enumerations demonstrated the presence of biodegradative populations in lysimeters and the probable survival of the addedAlcaligenes A5.     

Biodegradation of Crude Oil by a Newly Isolated Strain Rhodococcus sp. JZX-01

A highly efficient oil-degrading bacteria JZX-01 was isolated from the oil-contaminated soil of the seacoast near the Boxi Offshore Oil Field of China. Morphological, physiological, and 16S rDNA gene sequence analyses indicated that JZX-01 was assigned to the genus Rhodococcus sp. This strain decomposed 65.27?±?5.63 % of the crude oil in 9 days. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis showed that even the long-chain hydrocarbons (C31–C38) and branched alkanes (pristine and phytane), which were regarded as the stubborn ones, could be degraded. Further study showed that the bacteria still has good oil degradation ability at low temperatures as well as under high salt conditions. Moreover, JZX-01 was found to have a biosurfactant-producing capacity, which significantly favors the surface tension reduction and crude oil degradation. The promising isolated strain Rhodococcus sp. JZX-01 could be further used for the bioremediation of oil-polluted soil or seawater in a wide range of temperatures and high salt conditions.     

The role of biodegradation during bioventing of soil contaminated with jet fuel

The enhancing rem oval of kerosene (jet fuel) from contaminated soil during bioventing resulting from biodegradation was compared to the physical removal by evaporation only on bench-scale columns at the controlled temperature of 20°C (±2.5°C). Carbon dioxide-free air and nitrogen were used as flushing gases, at the constant continuous flow rate of 1 dm³/h. Kerosene concentrations in soil up to 35000 mg/kg were not toxic for indigenous microbial population. Much slower kerosene biodegradation rates observed for soil from a contaminated site, as compared to soil artificialy contaminated with kerosene, were the result of a lower bioavailability of “aged” kerosene, and the presence of compounds that might be persistent or toxic to kerosene-specific degraders. The inhibitory effect of toluene to indigenous microorganisms was found at above 75% of the toluene saturation concentrations in the gas phase. After 29 d, the overall bioventing efficiency was 17–23%, depending on whether CO₂ production or O₂ uptake wasused for caculations, as compared to the removal of 10% when biodegradation was excluded. The increase in efficiency by 50–100% owing to biodegradation would be more spectacular at lowr kerosene concentrations during the “tailing” phase, with diffusionlimited desorption, and much lower evaporation of less volatile constituents. Limitation of bioventing as a result of low bioavailability related to intraparticle sorption of residual contamination is discussed.     

Synergistic effects of alkali metals in the alkylation of naphthalene and toluene with ethene in the ArH–alkali metal systems in THF (ArH – naphthalene,phenanthrene)

The use of mixtures of metallic lithium and sodium in the naphthalene–alkali metal systems in THF leads to a synergistic acceleration of the naphthalene alkylation with ethene at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The greatest synergistic effect is observed at a Li:Na molar ratio of 2:1. Under these conditions, the overall conversion of naphthalene into alkylation products (linear 1-alkylnaphthalenes and their dihydro derivatives) attains 88% after 24 h (a (Li + Na):C₁₀H₈ ratio is 2:1). The use of mixtures of metallic lithium and potassium in such systems results, however, in a synergistic retardation of the alkylation process. The strongest retarding effect is observed at a Li:K molar ratio of 1:1. The efficiency of the toluene alkylation with ethene in the naphthalene–alkali metal systems in THF is also increased on the replacement of lithium or sodium by their mixtures. The best results are obtained at a Li:Na molar ratio of 1:3. With this Li:Na ratio, toluene is almost quantitatively converted into linear and α-branched higher monoalkylbenzenes (24 h, (Li + Na):C₁₀H₈ = 2:1). The rate of the naphthalene alkylation with ethene in the presence of toluene is enhanced as well on an introduction of mixtures of lithium and sodium into the system. However the maximum of the activity is shifted here towards higher lithium content (Li:Na = 1:1). A similar synergistic effect of lithium and sodium was found on studying the toluene alkylation with ethene in the phenanthrene–Li–Na systems in THF (a (Li + Na):phenanthrene ratio is 3:1). An addition of potassium to sodium also considerably increases the efficiency of the toluene and naphthalene alkylation with ethene in the naphthalene-based systems. The possible mechanism of the alkali metal synergism in the above-mentioned alkylation reactions is discussed.     

Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons Contaminating Sewage Effluent Using Man-made Biofilms: Effects of Some Variables

Biofilm samples were established on glass slides by submerging them in oil-free and oil-containing sewage effluent for a month. In batch cultures, such biofilms were effective in removing crude oil, pure n-hexadecane, and pure phenanthrene contaminating sewage effluent. The amounts of the removed hydrocarbons increased with increasing biofilm surface area exposed to the effluent. On the other hand, addition of the reducing agent thioglycollate dramatically inhibited the hydrocarbon bioremediation potential of the biofilms. The same biofilm samples removed contaminating hydrocarbons effectively in three successive batch bioremediation cycles but started to become less effective in the cycles thereafter, apparently due to mechanical biofilm loss during successive transfers. As major hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria, the biofilms harbored species belonging to the genera Pseudomonas, Microvirga, Zavarzinia, Mycobacterium, Microbacterium, Stenotrophomonas, Gordonia, Bosea, Sphingobium, Brachybacterium, and others. The nitrogen fixer Azospirillum brasilense and the microalga Ochromonas distigma were also present; they seemed to enrich the biofilms, with nitrogenous compounds and molecular oxygen, respectively, which are known to enhance microbiological hydrocarbon degradation. It was concluded that man-made biofilms based upon sewage microflora are promising tools for bioremediation of hydrocarbons contaminating sewage effluent.     

Binuclear iron(III) octakis(perfluorophenyl)tetraazaporphyrin μ-oxodimer: a highly efficient catalyst for biomimetic oxygenation reactions

Binuclear iron(III) octakis(perfluorophenyl)tetraazaporphyrin μ-oxodimer complex was prepared by the reaction of bis(perfluorophenyl)maleonitrile and Fe(CO)₅ and tested in catalytic oxygenation reactions of several hydrocarbons in comparison with the analogous non-fluorinated phthalocyanine complexes. Results of the study demonstrate that this complex is a highly efficient catalyst for the oxygenation of anthracene, 2-tert-butylanthracene, naphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, phenanthrene, adamantane, and toluene using iodosylbenzene, oligomeric iodosylbenzene sulfate, or Oxone as stoichiometric oxidants.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in edible oils by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy

The occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in nine edible oils of three categories of oil samples, such as soy bean oil, mustard oil and coconut oil, has been studied to determine the contamination degree of this type of oil samples. Eight major carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, fluorene, pyrene, crysene, benzo(a)pyrene and benzo(a)anthracene, were identified and quantified in the extract of edible oils collected from Bangladeshi Markets by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. All of the carcinogenic PAHs are not present in the edible oils. A few of the carcinogenic PAHs are present in the oils but it is within the permissible limit. The results for the recoveries of naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, pyrene, crysene, benzo(a)anthracene and benzo(a)pyrene were in the range of 56–84%. The limit of detection (LOD) of the GC–MS method, established at signals three times that of the noise for naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, pyrene, crysene, benzo(a)anthracene and benzo(a)pyrene, was 2.0–2.5 ng, respectively.     

Cyclic polysulfides fused to polyaromatics

Pentathiepins fused to naphthalene and phenanthrene have been synthesized by a simple method. Ring size depends on the stability of generated products related to steric and electronic factors. Sometimes, delocalized π-electron of polyaromatics shows synergistic effect on the stabilization of polysulfur rings. The structures of two polysulfides were also studied by X-ray crystallography and phenanthrene bearing C₂S₅ ring showed different solid-state properties than corresponding phenanthrene bearing C₂S₃ ring.     

Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Remediation of Simulated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Contaminated Wastewater under Visible Light Irradiation by Graphene Oxide Enwrapped Ag3PO4 Composite.

Effective removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from wastewater before their discharge into the environment is an ever pressing requirement. In this study, for the first time, simulated PAHs contaminated wastewater was photocatalytically remediated with graphene oxide (GO) enwrapped silver phosphate as visible light‐driven photocatalysts. The GO/Ag₃PO₄ photocatalysts exhibited superior photocatalytic activity and stability compared with pure Ag₃PO₄, g‐C₃N₄ and TiO₂ (P25). The degradation efficiency of naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene could reach 49.7%, 100.0% and 77.9%, rspectively within 5 min irradiation. The apparent rate constants of photocatalytic degradation of 3 wt% GO/Ag₃PO₄ composite photocatalyst were 0.14, 1.21 and 2.46 min⁻¹ for naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene, respectively. They were about 1.8, 1.5 and 2.0 times higher than that of pure Ag₃PO₄, and much higher than that of g‐C₃N₄ and TiO₂. Meanwhile, the efficiencies of 44.6%, 95.2% and 83.8% were achieved for naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene degradation even after 5 times of recycling in the GO/Ag₃PO₄‐PAHs photocatalysis system. Reactive species of ∙O₂⁻ and h⁺ were considered as the main participants for oxidizing naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene.     

Synergistic effect between surfactants and polyacrylates-maleicanhydride copolymers to improve the flow properties of waxy crude oil

Four copolymers were prepared by copolymerization of octadecyl acrylate with maleic anhydride abbreviated as [ODM], the resulted copolymer was reacted with octadecylalcohol [ODMSA], hexadecylamine [ODMCA], benzyl alcohol [ODMBA] and aniline [ODMAn]. Three oil-soluble surfactants were also prepared by esterification of mono, di and tri ethanolamine with oleic acid, abbreviated as [MEAO, DEAO and TEAO]. These compounds were purified and characterized by FTIR, ¹H-NMR and GPC. The prepared copolymers were evaluated individually and mixed with the oil-soluble surfactants and evaluated as flow improvers and pour point depressants for waxy crude oil. It was found that, the polymer with aromatic side chain [ODMBA] exhibited the maximum pour point depression ΔPP?=?24°C at concentration 1000?ppm, while the minimum pour point depression was obtained by [ODMCA] which pronounced ΔPP?=?15°C at 1000?ppm. Furthermore, the blend [B4] between [ODMBA] and oil-soluble surfactant [TEAO] achieved extra depression of pour point (ΔPP?=?30°C). The rheological properties of the treated and untreated crude oil with the polymeric additives were also investigated and it was found that Bingham yield value (τ_B) was decreased from 1.63?Pa at 32°C to 0.3?Pa at the same temperature and 500?ppm concentration of [ODMBA].     

Synthesis of cationic complexes [(C<Subscript>4</Subscript>Me<Subscript>4</Subscript>)CoL]<Superscript>+</Superscript> (L is naphthalene,phenanthrene, and anthracene)

Cationic arene complexes [Cb*Co(naphthalene)]⁺ (2, Cb* = C₄Me₄) and [Cb*Co(phenanthrene)]⁺ were synthesized by the reactions of [Cb*Co(MeCN)₃]⁺ with arenes. The [Cb*Co(anthracene)]⁺ complex was synthesized by the abstraction of the iodide ion from [Cb*CoI]₂ by TIBF₄ in the presence of anthracene. Complex 2 exchanges the naphthalene ligand for other arenes at room temperature. Dedicated to Academician G. A. Abakumov on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1861–1863, September, 2007.     

用高效液相色谱法预测两油层合采过程中单层的产量分数

 在全油的气相色谱指纹没有显著差异的原油中 ,发现了萘、菲系列化合物在原油中的浓度具有显著差异。提出了预测两油层合采过程中的分层产量分数的新方法。选择萘、菲系列化合物为地化指标 ,用氧化铝 硅胶柱对其预分离 ,再用高效液相色谱法测定其视浓度。通过用人工配制的混合原油进行验证 ,结果表明该方法适用于全油气相色谱差别小的原油 ,预测值与实际值的相对偏差为 8% ,精确度优于全油气相色谱指纹法。     

Distribution of Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria in the Soil Environment and Their Contribution to Bioremediation

A real-time PCR quantification method for indigenous hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria (HDB) carrying the alkB gene in the soil environment was developed to investigate their distribution in soil. The detection limit of indigenous HDB by the method was 1?×?10⁶ cells/g-soil. The indigenous HDB were widely distributed throughout the soil environment and ranged from 3.7?×?10⁷ to 5.0?×?10⁸ cells/g-soil, and the ratio to total bacteria was 0.1–4.3 %. The dynamics of total bacteria, indigenous HDB, and Rhodococcus erythropolis NDKK6 (carrying alkB R2) during bioremediation were analyzed. During bioremediation with an inorganic nutrient treatment, the numbers of these bacteria were slightly increased. The numbers of HDB (both indigenous bacteria and strain NDKK6) were gradually decreased from the middle stage of bioremediation. Meanwhile, the numbers of these bacteria were highly increased and were maintained during bioremediation with an organic nutrient. The organic treatment led to activation of not only the soil bacteria but also the HDB, so an efficient bioremediation was carried out.     

Application of hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction in identification of oil spill sources

In this study, hollow fiber based liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME), coupled with GC, GC–MS and GC–IRMS detections, was employed to determine petroleum hydrocarbons in spilled oils. According to the results, the HF-LPME method collected more low-molecular weight components, such as C₇–C₁₁n-alkanes, naphthalene, and phenanthrene, than those collected in conventional liquid–liquid extraction (LLE). The results also showed that this method had no remarkable effect on the distributions of high-molecular weight compounds such as >C₁₈n-alkanes, C₁–C₃ phenanthrene, and hopanes. Also, the carbon isotopic compositions of individual n-alkanes in the two preparation processes were identical. Accordingly, HF-LPME, as a simple, fast, and inexpensive sample preparation technique, could become a promising method for the identification of oil spill sources.     

Toluene abatement on Ag-CeO2/SBA-15 catalysts: synergistic effect of silver and ceria

As a typical volatile organic compound, toluene is a hazardous material for human health and the environment, and currently, the development of catalysts for its oxidation into CO₂ and water is crucial. The series of Ag-CeO₂/SBA-15 catalysts is synthesized by wetness impregnation techniques and characterized by a number of physical-chemical methods (nitrogen [N₂] physisorption, small angle X-ray scattering [SAXS], transmission electron microscopy [TEM], and temperature-programmed reduction [TPR]). The toluene sorption and catalytic properties in toluene oxidation are studied. Small silver [Ag] and cerium oxide [ceria, CeO_2] particles with sizes below 3 nm are predominantly formed in the ordered structure of Santa Barbara Amorphous-15 [SBA-15]. The interactions between the Ag and CeO₂ nanoparticles are established. Temperature-programmed desorption of toluene [TPD-C₇H₈] analysis shows that physical adsorption of toluene occurs on pristine SBA-15 material, while the introduction of either silver or ceria to SBA-15 leads to the appearance of additional strongly bound chemisorbed toluene on such sites. When both Ag and CeO₂ are introduced, only chemisorbed toluene is formed over the Ag-CeO₂/SBA-15 catalyst, and the highest catalytic activity in toluene oxidation is observed over this catalyst (T_98% = 233 °C, 0.2% C₆H₅CH₃) that is attributed to the synergistic effect of ceria [CeO_2] and silver [Ag].     

Uptake of Hydrocarbons in Aqueous Solution by Encapsulation in Acyclic Cucurbit[n]uril‐Type Molecular Containers

The ability of two water‐soluble acyclic cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n]) type containers, whose hydrophobic cavity is defined by a glycoluril tetramer backbone and terminal aromatic (benzene, naphthalene) sidewalls, to act as solubilizing agents for hydrocarbons in water is described. ¹H NMR spectroscopy studies and phase‐solubility diagrams establish that the naphthalene‐walled container performs as well as, or better than, CB[7] and CB[8] in promoting the uptake of poorly soluble hydrocarbons into aqueous solution through formation of host–hydrocarbon complexes. The naphthalene‐walled acyclic CB[n] container is able to extract large hydrocarbons from crude oil into aqueous solution.