Dissertations / Theses: 'Petroleum hydrocarbons'

1

Mejeha, Obioma Kelechi. "Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in soils co-contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals derived from petroleum." Thesis, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/3391.

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The biodegradation of sites co-contaminated by organic pollutants and Heavy Metals is often a challenge due to the inhibition of microbial activities. Microbes play important role in the mineralization of petroleum hydrocarbons to CO2 by utilizing petroleum hydrocarbons as a carbon/ energy source. Heavy metals are often constituents of petroleum. Petroleum spills may result to the release associated metals (e.g. Ni, Cd, Pb, As) into the environment. Subsequent spills may cause an increase in metal concentrations in soils that may build to concentrations above intervention values. This may result to the inhibition of important biological activities such as the biodegradation of organic contaminants. This research investigates the effects of Ni, Cd and Pb contamination on biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in complex soil system using a microbiological approach combined with geochemical approach. Such an approach will provide a more detailed understanding of the patterns of oil degradation under different and increasing metal stresses and how microbial communities change in such environments. Results indicated that Ni has stimulatory or no effects on biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in soils depending on the chemical form of added Ni. The stimulatory effect was observed in Ni-Porphyrin contaminated soils and declined with increasing Ni concentration. In NiO soils, no effects occurred at low concentrations and increased concentration of Ni resulted to increased inhibition of biodegradation. This is unlike NiCl2 amended soils where Ni effects on biodegradation were neutral irrespective of Ni concentration. The microbial diversity study of the microbial soil community indicated that there was a selective enrichment of species in the soil communities. Phylogenetic study indicated that the dominant microorganism in the community is a strain of Rhodococcus (100%), which was closely related to most Rhodococcus strains isolated from hydrocarbon-contaminated environments, metal contaminated environments and extreme environments. Results indicated that Cd inhibited biodegradation of crude oil in soils, irrespective of Cd form or concentrations. The inhibitory effect increased with increasing concentrations. Also, the microbial diversity study of the microbial soil community indicated that there was a selective enrichment of species in the soil communities. Similar to Ni, Phylogenetic study indicated that the dominant microorganism in the community is a strain of Rhodococcus. Also biodegradation of petroleum was significantly reduced in crude oil degrading short-term Pb contaminated soils, irrespective of Pb form or concentration. However, in long-term Pb contaminated soils, while maximal rate of petroleum degradation reduced at high- Pb concentration, no effect was observed at low lead concentration. Also, the microbial diversity study of the microbial soil community indicated that there was a selective enrichment of species in the soil communities. Two dominating specie were identified in Pb-soils depending on soil. Both are closely related to a strain belonging to Bacillales that were originally isolated Rock, Scopulibacillus darangshiensis strain (98%) and oil contaminated soil Bacillus circulans (99%). While the former dominated in Pb -short-term contaminated soils as well as Pb-long term contaminated soil at high concentration, the later dominated long-term-Pb contaminated soil at low concentration.

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Critchley, John G. "Composting of soils contaminated with heavy petroleum hydrocarbons." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape4/PQDD_0016/MQ48146.pdf.

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Agbeotu, Emibra E. "Plant enhanced biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2009. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=59440.

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Hydrocarbons in soil may assert acute or chronic impacts to plants, animals and microbial processes if contacted. These have raised political and scientific concerns. Consequential research efforts corroborated that constitutive microorganisms contact the compounds for their metabolic activities. This may result in mineralisation, transformation and/or detoxification (biodegradation) of the compounds. Hydrocarbon biodegradation is relatively cost-effective and ecological, but often marred with limited availability to plant or animal cells (bioavailability) for metabolism. Several authors reported that growth of some plants or administration of requisite rootexudates into soil with hydrocarbons often increases hydrocarbon bioavailability for enhanced biodegradation. However, development of knowledge about this respite from plants is often founded on impacts of plants on single dose or selected mixture of hydrocarbons in soils or culture solutions. These do not; and cannot represent the heterogeneous complex mixture of numerous organic and inorganic compounds in soils where plants grow naturally. In this study, synthetic root-exudates, seedlings of lupin and ryegrass were applied separately into respective soils that were contaminated with aged and/or fresh petroleum hydrocarbons. Individual impacts of the treatments on bulk hydrocarbon concentrations, rate of microbial respiration and total numbers of culturable bacterial colonies in the soils were investigated. Results suggested that application of lupin, ryegrass or synthetic root-exudates into the soils significantly (p ≤ 0.05) induced reduction or upsurge of hydrocarbon biodegradation end-points relative to the type and concentration of hydrocarbons in soil. Thus, it is inferred that growth of plants or administration of root-exudates into hydrocarbon contaminated soils could result in enhanced biodegradation of hydrocarbons in soil.

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Adelaja, O. "Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons using microbial fuel cells." Thesis, University of Westminster, 2015. https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/9qvyy/bioremediation-of-petroleum-hydrocarbons-using-microbial-fuel-cells.

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Environmental pollution by petroleum hydrocarbons has serious environmental consequences on critical natural resources upon which all living things (including mankind) largely depend. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) could be employed in the treatment of these environmental pollutants with concomitant bioelectricity generation. Therefore, the overarching objective of this study was to develop an MFC system for the effective and efficient treatment of petroleum hydrocarbons in both liquid and particulate systems. Biodegradation of target hydrocarbons, phenanthrene and benzene, was investigated in dual-chambered microbial fuel cells (MFCs) using different inoculum types - Shewanella oneidensis MR1 14063, Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCTC 10662, mixed cultures and their combinations thereof. All the inocula showed high potentials for phenanthrene and benzene degradation in liquid systems with a minimum degradation efficiency of 97 % and 86 % respectively with concomitant power production (up to 1.25 mWm-2). The performance of MFCs fed with a mixture of phenanthrene and benzene under various operating conditions - temperature, substrate concentration, addition of surfactants and cathodic electron acceptor type – was investigated. The interaction effects of three selected operating parameters - external resistance, salinity and redox mediator were also investigated using response surface methodology. The outcomes of this study demonstrated the robustness of MFCs with good degradation performance (range 80 - 98 %) and maximum power production up to 10 mWm-2 obtained at different treatment conditions. Interactive effects existed among the chosen independent factors with external resistance having a significant impact on MFC performance, with maximum power output of 24 mWm-2 obtained at optimised conditions - external resistance (69.80 kΩ) , redox mediator (29.30μM, Riboflavin) and salinity (1.3 % w/v NaCl). The treatment of a mixture of phenanthrene and benzene using two different tubular MFCs designed for both in situ and ex situ applications in aqueous systems was investigated over long operational periods (up to 155 days). The outcomes of this work demonstrated stable MFC performance at harsh nutrient conditions and ambient temperatures. Simultaneous removal of petroleum hydrocarbons (> 90 %) and bromate, used as catholyte, (up to 79 %) with concomitant biogenic electricity generation (i.e. peak power density up to 6.75 mWm-2) were observed. The performance of a tubular MFC system in phenanthrene-contaminated soil was investigated in the last study. The outcomes of this work has demonstrated the simultaneous removal of phenanthrene (86%) and bromate (95%) coupled with concomitant bioelectricity generation (about 4.69 mWm-2) using MFC systems within a radius of influence (ROI) up to 8 cm. The overall outcomes of this study suggest the possible application of MFC technology in the effective treatment of petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated groundwater or industrial effluents and soil systems (mostly in subsurface environments), with concomitant energy recovery. MFC technology could potentially be utilised as an independent system in lieu of other bioremediation technologies (e.g. pump and treat, electrobioremediation or permeable reactive barriers) or integrated with existing infrastructure such as monitoring wells or piezometers.

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Phillips, Pamela June. "Microbial degradation of hydrocarbons in aqueous systems." Thesis, University of Surrey, 2003. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/842666/.

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There is a vast worldwide consumption of petroleum hydrocarbons and accidental release in to the environment is common. For example petroleum forecourt retail outlets have 'interceptors' to prevent release of hydrocarbons into the environment. The aim of this study was to investigate options for in-situ bioremediation of the hydrocarbon substrates within these 'interceptors' in a laboratory model. The initial studies on bioremediation were undertaken with diesel as the substrate. It was shown that the addition of nitrogen and phosphorus to the system increased hydrocarbon mineralisation by a factor of 16, resulting in increased carbon dioxide evolution. There was strong evidence indicating that nitrogen and phosphorus were the limiting factor for hydrocarbon metabolism in this aqueous system. Trichoderma harzianum and a soil bacterial isolate LFC D1 FI were assessed and shown to degrade hexadecane and pristane. The positive affect of adding a cosubstrate was evident in flask studies; the rates of degradation by LFC D1 FI and T. harzianum were approximately doubled and tripled respectively in the presence of glucose compared to treatments without glucose. Previous attention has focused on the ability of Phanerochaete chrysosporium to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; in this study the degradation of aliphatics was investigated. Spores from P. chrysosporium induced on the hydrocarbon substrate were found to be necessary to degrade hexadecane. Pseudomonas putida was unable to grow in liquid media containing hydrocarbons, however on solid media and in an aqueous environment containing acid-washed sand, degradation of hydrocarbons was evident, hi the presence of sand P. putida degraded both hexadecane and pristane by 70% of the initial concentration added; in the absence of sand no degradation in the aqueous system was seen. This suggests surface attachment plays an important role in hydrocarbon degradation by P. putida. The attachment and use of the sessile P. putida in aliphatic hydrocarbon degradation is discussed.

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Vogdt, Joachim. "Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil." Thesis, This resource online, 1992. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-02132009-172348/.

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Ucankus, Tugba. "Modeling Natural Attenuation Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons (btex) In Heterogeneous Aquifers." Master's thesis, METU, 2005. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12606869/index.pdf.

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Natural Attenuation can be an effective cleanup option for remediation of Groundwater contamination by BTEX. One of the important aspects of the methodology that has been recognized recently is that mass removal rates, the most important parameters used to determine effectiveness of the methodology, is controlled by groundwater flow regime, which to a large extent controlled by aquifer heterogeneity. Considering this recognition, the primary objective of this research is to quantitatively describe the relationship between natural attenuation rates of BTEX and aquifer heterogeneity using numerical solution techniques. To represent different levels of aquifer heterogeneity, hydraulic conductivity distributions are simulated using Turning Bands Algorithm, changing statistical parameters Coefficient of Variation (CV) and correlation length (h). Visual MODFLOW is used to model the transport of BTEX contamination, at different hydraulic conductivity fields. Degradation rates are calculated by Buscheck&
Alcantar and Conservative Tracer Methods. The results show that, for a given h, as CV increases, the plume slows down and stays longer at the domain, so areal extent of plume decreases. For anisotropic field, plumes are more dispersed along x and y-direction, and areal extents of the plumes are greater. During MNA feasibility studies, for the aquifer heterogeneity level of CV and h smaller than 100 % and 10 m, respectively, a minimum recommended biodegradation rate constant of 0.02 d-1 can be used, whereas for the aquifer heterogeneity level of CV and h greater than 100 % and 10 m, respectively, using a minimum biodegradation rate constant of 0.06 d-1 can be recommended.

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Al, Mohanna M. M. M. "Effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on some fish and food organisms." Thesis, Swansea University, 1988. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.635700.

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The effect of hydrocarbons, in the form of WSF (water soluble fraction) of North Sea crude oil and naphthalene, upon the respiratory rate and survival of the freshwater isopod, Asellus aquaticus (L.), was examined at different temperatures (10°C and 17°C). The influence of pH and water hardness on the toxicity of the WSF was investigated; it was found to be less toxic in pH 7 and in hard water. Asellus was found to accumulate naphthalene (labelled with ¹⁴C) rapidly. The effects of these hydrocarbons on postfertilization development in the Atlantic herring Clupea harengus (L.) were also studied. Artificially fertilized eggs were exposed to different concentrations, the volume of egg, yolk and perivitelline space were measured and the development of the embryos was observed. Exposure to hydrocarbons altered the rates of development, heart beat and embryonic movement; the hatching point was retarded and deformities were observed amongst the resulting larvae. The influeace of naphthalene on the ultra-structure of brain and muscle in C. harengus larvae, hatched from eggs previously exposed to naphthalene, was examined. Electron microscopy revealed cellular changes: many mitochrondria were swollen, their cristae disrupted. The accumulation and distribution of crude oil and naphthalene introduced into adult rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri (Richardson) in their diet, were followed. High concentrations of these hydrocarbons were accumulated in both the gut and the liver of the trout; smaller quantities were found in their gills, kidneys, muscle, heart and brain.

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Orlu, Rosemary Nmavulem. "Geochemical controls during the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in soils." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2017. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/19846/.

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The microbial transformation of Fe (III) to Fe (II) can be coupled to the oxidation and reduction of organic contaminants in sub-oxic to anoxic environments. A multidisciplinary approach was adopted in this study to investigate the biogeochemical influences on the degradation of toluene (a representative of the class of aromatic hydrocarbons collectively known as BTEX) using experimental analogues of subsurface soil environments under predominantly iron-reducing conditions. The removal of toluene over the period of incubation indicated the soil-water mixture supported the degradation of toluene under predominantly iron-reducing conditions. Chemical sequential extractions showed the removal of toluene in the active mesocosms induced an increase in carbonate-bound iron fractions from 196.1 ± 11.4 mg/kg to 5,252.1 ± 291.8 mg/kg and a decrease in the reducible iron fraction from 2,504.4 ± 1,445.9 mg/kg to 375.6 ± 20.8 mg/kg. Analysis of the soil-water mixture showed slight shifts in the pH of the control and active mesocosms at the start of the experiments however these shifts occurred to a lesser degree over the remainder of the incubation period. Further experiments analysed the degree of influence of differing soil matrices and extraneous sources of iron (hematite, goethite, magnetite, ferrihydrite and lepidocrocite) on toluene removal. With the exception of the lepidocrocite-amended mesocosms, all of the iron-amended mesocosms were shown to have supported toluene removal. The presence of hematite, goethite and magnetite did not produce a significant change in the pH or total iron concentrations of the soil-water mixture. However the presence of ferrihydrite in the ferrihydrite-amended mesocosms induced a decrease in pH to slightly acid values ranging between pH 6.5 at the start of the experiments and 5.2 at the end of the experiments. The lepidocrocite-amended mesocosms induced a change to slightly alkaline values ranging between pH 8.4 and 8.8 during the period of incubation. All of the soil-amended mesocosms supported the removal of toluene in the soil-water mixture. The mesocosms containing soils with a greater percentage clay fraction removed higher amounts of toluene, possibly an indication that the bulk of this removal was sorption-induced and not microbially-mediated. An experimental approach based on the standard stable carbon isotope analytical method made it possible to determine the source of carbon in the incubated mesocosm material. The application of the mixed effects model approach to analyse the repeatedly measured experimental data demonstrated the possibility of producing predictive models for toluene removal in soil.

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Marchand, Charlotte. "Phytoremediation of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and trace elements." Doctoral thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för biologi och miljö (BOM), 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-60839.

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The rapid urbanization and industrialization has led to an increase of disposal petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC) and trace elements (TE) into the environment. These pollutants are considered as the most toxic contaminants in the world due to their persistence in the environment, and the long range of toxicological effects for living beings. Recent concerns regarding the environmental contamination have initiated the development of several remediation technologies, including physical, chemical, and biological approaches. In this thesis, gentle soil remediation options (GRO) were investigated at different scales for the reclamation of PHC and TE co-contaminated soil. In the first part of this thesis, laboratory experiments were performed to characterize PHC and TE contaminated soil as well as the indigenous microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) present inside these contaminated soil. It was found that the studied aged contaminated soil had a negative effect on earthworm’s development and L. sativum biomass. Moreover, a high respiration of microorganisms attributed to the transformation/ mineralization of organic matter or/and organic pollutants was observed. This presence of viable microorganisms suggested an adaptation of microorganisms to the contaminant. Further results showed that the long-term exposure of soil microorganisms to high PHC concentration and the type of isolation culture media did not influence the ability of isolates to effectively degrade PHC. However, phylogenic affiliation had a strong on PHC biodegradation. In the second part of this thesis, preliminary studies in greenhouse were assessed to investigate the ability of M. sativa assisted by compost in the greenhouse aided-phytoremediation of PHC and TE. It was found that compost incorporation into the soil promoted PHC degradation, M. sativa growth and survival, and phytoextraction of TE. Residual risk assessment after the phytoremediation trial also showed a positive effect of compost amendment on plant growth and earthworm development. Pilot scale ecopile experiment carried out in the third part of this thesis allow a reduction of up to 80% of PHC and 20% of metals after 17 months. This research demonstrated that M. sativa and H. annus were suitable for phytodegradation of PHC and phytoextraction of TE. Results from this thesis are helpful for further full-scale phytoremediation studies.

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Sarkar, Payel. "Studies on biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by a soil bacterium." Thesis, University of North Bengal, 2015. http://ir.nbu.ac.in/hdl.handle.net/123456789/1522.

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12

Mastran, Trina Ann. "Distribution of petroleum products with respect to boating activity in a reservoir." Thesis, This resource online, 1992. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-08222009-040425/.

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13

Falatko, David M. "Effects of biologically produced surfactants on the mobility and biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons." Thesis, This resource online, 1991. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-11242009-020044/.

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Fan, Zhiqiang. "Primary migration of hydrocarbons through microfracture propagation in petroleum source rocks." Thesis, The University of Maine, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3573311.

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Petroleum is generated from finely grained source rocks rich in organic materials and accumulated and trapped in reservoir rocks with relatively higher permeability and porosity. Expulsion of petroleum through and out of source rocks is called primary migration. Primary migration, as a link between source rocks and carrier rocks, presents a vital challenge to the society of petroleum geosciences and exploration and attracts the research interests of many geologists and geochemists. Despite extensive research the effective mechanisms responsible for primary migration of hydrocarbons are still in intensive debate.

Conversion of kerogen to oil and/or gas results in appreciable volume increase due to the density difference between the precursor and the products. Overpressure is developed as a natural consequence in well-sealed dense source rocks at great depths. When the overpressure reaches some critical value, bedding-parallel microcracks are initiated owing to laminated structure and strength anisotropy of source rocks. As transformation proceeds, microcracks are driven to grow subcritically by the overpressure. Such microcracks serve as migration conduits for hydrocarbon flow and may connect to other preexisting conductive fractures to form fracture networks or systems, which may facilitate further migration of hydrocarbons. Convincing evidence from observations in nature and laboratory experiments is found to support the idea that microcracks caused mainly by overpressure buildup from hydrocarbon generation functions as effective primary migration pathways. Based on those published findings, the present dissertation adopted an integrated approach consisting of petroleum geochemistry, petrophysics and fracture mechanics to assess the role of self-propagating microfractures as an effective mechanism for primary migration of hydrocarbons. Four models were developed: migration though subcritical propagation and coalescence of collinear oil-filled cracks, migration through subcritical propagation of an oil-filled penny-shaped crack in isotropic source rocks, subcritical growth of a penny-shaped crack filled by hydrocarbon mix in anisotropic source rocks, and a penny-shaped crack driven by overpressure during conversion of oil to gas. To predict the migration time and quantities of oil and natural gas, we use the reaction kinetics taking into account of pressure and temperature histories during continuous burial of sediments. To account for the compressibility of gas at high temperatures and pressures, we adopt an equation of state for methane, the predominant component of natural gas. To address the excess pressure buildup through volume expansion associated with kerogen degradation and initiation of microfractures, we employ linear fracture mechanics. To simulate the propagation of microcracks, hence the migration of hydrocarbons, we use a finite difference approach. The time period for pressure build-up, the overpressure evolution over time, and crack propagation distance and duration are determined using the coupled model where the interaction of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion is included. A detailed systematic parametric study is carried out to investigate the sensitivity of hydrocarbon migration behavior to variations in the input parameters including elastic and fracture properties of source rocks, richness and type of organic matter and burial history.

Oil retained in the microfractures may be subjected to thermal cracking to form gas when the gas window is reached as the temperature and pressure continue to increase with the progressive burial. Numerical results are presented for the two cases: kerogen conversion to hydrocarbon mix and subsequently oil conversion to gas. The modeling results agree well with published geological observations which suggest that microfractures caused by overpressures mainly due to hydrocarbon generation serve as effective migration pathways for hydrocarbons within well-sealed source rocks under favorable burial conditions. The fully coupled multiphysics modeling allows us to gain some insight on the primary migration of hydrocarbons, which is essential for the exploration of source rocks.

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Axiak, V. "Effects of pollution by petroleum hydrocarbons on the bivalve (Venus verrucosa)." Thesis, University of Westminster, 1986. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.370918.

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Dawson, Daniel. "Stable hydrogen isotope ratios of individual hydrocarbons in sediments and petroleum." Thesis, Curtin University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1237.

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Early research into the stable hydrogen isotopic compositions (δD) of petroleum involved bulk deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) measurements which, while providing some useful information, had to contend with the analysis of complex mixtures of hydrocarbons, and alteration resulting from the rapid exchange of nitrogen-, oxygen- and sulphur-bound hydrogen. The use of gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-irMS) overcomes these problems by allowing the analysis of individual compounds containing only the most isotopically conservative aliphatic carbon-bound (C-bound) hydrogen. This project investigates the geochemical utility and reliability of compound-specific δD values, with the aim to better understand and exploit this analytical capability. To demonstrate the source diagnostic potential of compound-specific δD values, normal and branched alkanes extracted from series of immature bog-head coals (torbanites) were analysed. The torbanites contain immature organic matter predominantly from a single, freshwater algal source, i.e. Botryococcus braunii (B. braunii). The δD values of n-alkanes reflect the climate regime at the time of deposition of the torbanites, and vary mainly in response to the δD values of the source meteoric waters in their depositional environments. n-Alkanes from torbanites deposited at high latitude in a glacial climate are depleted in D by up to 70% relative to those from a torbanite deposited at low latitude under a tropical climate regime. Torbanites deposited in a mid-latitude region under cool-temperate conditions contain n-alkanes with δD values falling in between those of n-alkanes from tropical and glacial torbanites.The δD values of the n-alkanes also reflect their multiple source inputs. For example, a saw-toothed profile of n-alkane δD values in Australian torbanites is attributed to a dual-source system: a predominant B. braunii input, with a minor terrestrial plant input to odd-carbon-numbered n-alkanes in the range n-C20 [subscript] to n-C29 [subscript]. The δD values of n-alkanes and isoprenoids (pristane and phytane) differ significantly in two Permian torbanites from Australia, thought to be reflective of the offset between the δD values of their precursors in extant organisms. The torbanite data indicate that a biological δD signal has been preserved for at least 260–280 million years, extending the utility of δD values for palaeoclimate studies. To elucidate the effect of sedimentary processes on the δD values of petroleum hydrocarbons, three sedimentary sequences have been studied. These comprise one from the Perth Basin (Western Australia) and two from the Vulcan Sub-basin (northern Australia) covering a wide range of maturities, i.e. 0.53–1.6% vitrinite reflectance (Ro). The δD values of n-alkanes extracted from immature-early mature sediments (marine shales/siltstones and mudstones) are consistent with that expected of marine-derived n-alkyl lipids. The hydrocarbons become enriched in D with increasing maturity. The large (ca. 115%) biologically-derived offset between the δD values of n-alkanes and acyclic isoprenoids from immature sediments gradually decreases with increasing maturity, as the isoprenoids become enriched in D more rapidly than the n-alkanes. The D-enrichment in isoprenoids correlates strongly with Ro and traditional molecular maturity parameters.This suggests that H/D exchange during maturation occurs via a mechanism involving carbocation-like intermediates, which proceeds more rapidly with compounds containing tertiary carbon centres. Significant epimerisation of pristane and phytane coincides with their D-enrichment, suggesting that hydrogen exchange occurs at their tertiary carbons. A mechanism is proposed which can account for both H/D exchange and the epimerisation of pristane and phytane in the sedimentary environment. Pristane and phytane extracted from a post-mature sediment from the Paqualin-1 sequence are significantly enriched in D (ca. 40%) relative to the n-alkanes, indicating that D-enrichment persists at very high maturity, and is more pronounced for the regular isoprenoids than the n-alkanes. This supports the notion that H/D exchange causes the observed shift in δD values, rather than free-radical hydrogen transfer. The differences between the δD values of pristane and phytane show opposite trends in the Perth Basin and Vulcan Sub-basin sediments. In the Perth Basin, phytane is enriched in D relative to pristane, likely due to a dominant algal source. In the Vulcan Sub-basin, pristane is enriched in D relative to phytane, and thus is attributed to a lower relative input of algal organic matter. The variance of the δD values of pristane and phytane is generally consistent throughout the maturity range and provides evidence that pristane and phytane exchange hydrogen at similar rates. δD analysis of crude oils and condensates reservoired in the Perth Basin and Vulcan Sub-basin has been carried out to evaluate potential applications in oil-source correlation.The n-alkanes from crude oils and condensates are often more enriched in D than n-alkanes extracted from their supposed source rocks, and the oils also show relatively small differences between the δD values of n-alkanes and isoprenoids. These results suggest significant H/D exchange has occurred, implying that the liquids were generated from mature source rocks. A Perth Basin crude oil (Gage Roads-1) thought to be derived from a lacustrine/terrestrial source contains hydrocarbons that are significantly depleted in D relative to Perth Basin oils derived from a marine source, attributed to variability in the isotopic composition of marine and terrestrial source waters. δD values of n-alkanes from Vulcan Sub-basin crude oils and condensates are largely consistent with their prior classification into two groups: Group A, having a marine source affinity; and Group B, having a terrigenous source affinity. Some oils and condensates are suggested to be mixtures of Group A and Group B hydrocarbons, or Group A hydrocarbons and other as yet unknown sources. An exception is a former Group A oil (Tenacious-1) containing n-alkanes that are enriched in D relative to those from other Group A oils and condensates, attributed to mixing with another source of more mature hydrocarbons. The n-alkane δD profile appears to be indicative of source and sedimentary processes. One Perth Basin crude oil (Dongara-14) contains lower-molecular-weight n-alkanes that are depleted in D relative to higher-molecular-weight n-alkanes, attributed to a mixed marine/terrestrial source.Group A crude oils and condensates from the Vulcan Sub-basin display a ‘bowl-shaped’ profile of n-alkane δD values. An upward inflection in the n-alkane δD profile from n-C11 [subscript] to n-C15 [subscript] is suggested to represent the addition of D-enriched lower-molecular-weight n-alkanes from a more mature wet gas/condensate to an initial charge of lower maturity oil. Ultimately, this project has demonstrated that the δD values of individual petroleum hydrocarbons can be used to elucidate the nature of source organic matter and depositional environments. The preservation potential of lipid δD values is greater than previously thought, although it is clear that H/D exchange accompanying maturation can have a significant effect on the δD values of certain hydrocarbons. Thus, great care must be taken when interpreting δD values of individual hydrocarbons, particularly those derived from sediments of high thermal maturity.

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17

Dawson, Daniel. "Stable hydrogen isotope ratios of individual hydrocarbons in sediments and petroleum." Curtin University of Technology, Department of Applied Chemistry, 2006. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=16839.

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Early research into the stable hydrogen isotopic compositions (δD) of petroleum involved bulk deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) measurements which, while providing some useful information, had to contend with the analysis of complex mixtures of hydrocarbons, and alteration resulting from the rapid exchange of nitrogen-, oxygen- and sulphur-bound hydrogen. The use of gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-irMS) overcomes these problems by allowing the analysis of individual compounds containing only the most isotopically conservative aliphatic carbon-bound (C-bound) hydrogen. This project investigates the geochemical utility and reliability of compound-specific δD values, with the aim to better understand and exploit this analytical capability. To demonstrate the source diagnostic potential of compound-specific δD values, normal and branched alkanes extracted from series of immature bog-head coals (torbanites) were analysed. The torbanites contain immature organic matter predominantly from a single, freshwater algal source, i.e. Botryococcus braunii (B. braunii). The δD values of n-alkanes reflect the climate regime at the time of deposition of the torbanites, and vary mainly in response to the δD values of the source meteoric waters in their depositional environments. n-Alkanes from torbanites deposited at high latitude in a glacial climate are depleted in D by up to 70% relative to those from a torbanite deposited at low latitude under a tropical climate regime. Torbanites deposited in a mid-latitude region under cool-temperate conditions contain n-alkanes with δD values falling in between those of n-alkanes from tropical and glacial torbanites.
The δD values of the n-alkanes also reflect their multiple source inputs. For example, a saw-toothed profile of n-alkane δD values in Australian torbanites is attributed to a dual-source system: a predominant B. braunii input, with a minor terrestrial plant input to odd-carbon-numbered n-alkanes in the range n-C20 [subscript] to n-C29 [subscript]. The δD values of n-alkanes and isoprenoids (pristane and phytane) differ significantly in two Permian torbanites from Australia, thought to be reflective of the offset between the δD values of their precursors in extant organisms. The torbanite data indicate that a biological δD signal has been preserved for at least 260–280 million years, extending the utility of δD values for palaeoclimate studies. To elucidate the effect of sedimentary processes on the δD values of petroleum hydrocarbons, three sedimentary sequences have been studied. These comprise one from the Perth Basin (Western Australia) and two from the Vulcan Sub-basin (northern Australia) covering a wide range of maturities, i.e. 0.53–1.6% vitrinite reflectance (Ro). The δD values of n-alkanes extracted from immature-early mature sediments (marine shales/siltstones and mudstones) are consistent with that expected of marine-derived n-alkyl lipids. The hydrocarbons become enriched in D with increasing maturity. The large (ca. 115%) biologically-derived offset between the δD values of n-alkanes and acyclic isoprenoids from immature sediments gradually decreases with increasing maturity, as the isoprenoids become enriched in D more rapidly than the n-alkanes. The D-enrichment in isoprenoids correlates strongly with Ro and traditional molecular maturity parameters.
This suggests that H/D exchange during maturation occurs via a mechanism involving carbocation-like intermediates, which proceeds more rapidly with compounds containing tertiary carbon centres. Significant epimerisation of pristane and phytane coincides with their D-enrichment, suggesting that hydrogen exchange occurs at their tertiary carbons. A mechanism is proposed which can account for both H/D exchange and the epimerisation of pristane and phytane in the sedimentary environment. Pristane and phytane extracted from a post-mature sediment from the Paqualin-1 sequence are significantly enriched in D (ca. 40%) relative to the n-alkanes, indicating that D-enrichment persists at very high maturity, and is more pronounced for the regular isoprenoids than the n-alkanes. This supports the notion that H/D exchange causes the observed shift in δD values, rather than free-radical hydrogen transfer. The differences between the δD values of pristane and phytane show opposite trends in the Perth Basin and Vulcan Sub-basin sediments. In the Perth Basin, phytane is enriched in D relative to pristane, likely due to a dominant algal source. In the Vulcan Sub-basin, pristane is enriched in D relative to phytane, and thus is attributed to a lower relative input of algal organic matter. The variance of the δD values of pristane and phytane is generally consistent throughout the maturity range and provides evidence that pristane and phytane exchange hydrogen at similar rates. δD analysis of crude oils and condensates reservoired in the Perth Basin and Vulcan Sub-basin has been carried out to evaluate potential applications in oil-source correlation.
The n-alkanes from crude oils and condensates are often more enriched in D than n-alkanes extracted from their supposed source rocks, and the oils also show relatively small differences between the δD values of n-alkanes and isoprenoids. These results suggest significant H/D exchange has occurred, implying that the liquids were generated from mature source rocks. A Perth Basin crude oil (Gage Roads-1) thought to be derived from a lacustrine/terrestrial source contains hydrocarbons that are significantly depleted in D relative to Perth Basin oils derived from a marine source, attributed to variability in the isotopic composition of marine and terrestrial source waters. δD values of n-alkanes from Vulcan Sub-basin crude oils and condensates are largely consistent with their prior classification into two groups: Group A, having a marine source affinity; and Group B, having a terrigenous source affinity. Some oils and condensates are suggested to be mixtures of Group A and Group B hydrocarbons, or Group A hydrocarbons and other as yet unknown sources. An exception is a former Group A oil (Tenacious-1) containing n-alkanes that are enriched in D relative to those from other Group A oils and condensates, attributed to mixing with another source of more mature hydrocarbons. The n-alkane δD profile appears to be indicative of source and sedimentary processes. One Perth Basin crude oil (Dongara-14) contains lower-molecular-weight n-alkanes that are depleted in D relative to higher-molecular-weight n-alkanes, attributed to a mixed marine/terrestrial source.
Group A crude oils and condensates from the Vulcan Sub-basin display a ‘bowl-shaped’ profile of n-alkane δD values. An upward inflection in the n-alkane δD profile from n-C11 [subscript] to n-C15 [subscript] is suggested to represent the addition of D-enriched lower-molecular-weight n-alkanes from a more mature wet gas/condensate to an initial charge of lower maturity oil. Ultimately, this project has demonstrated that the δD values of individual petroleum hydrocarbons can be used to elucidate the nature of source organic matter and depositional environments. The preservation potential of lipid δD values is greater than previously thought, although it is clear that H/D exchange accompanying maturation can have a significant effect on the δD values of certain hydrocarbons. Thus, great care must be taken when interpreting δD values of individual hydrocarbons, particularly those derived from sediments of high thermal maturity.

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18

Fisher, Steven J. "The use of advanced analytical techniques for studying the biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons." Thesis, Curtin University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1726.

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Two case studies are described where partially biodegraded petroleum residues were collected from the marine environment and analysed to investigate the changes in aromatic hydrocarbons with increasing biodegradation.The first of these studies, involved following the weathering of sea-floor residues from drilling discharges from an offshore petroleum exploration and production platform situated off the coast of North Western Australia. During operations, formation cuttings with adhering oil-based drilling muds were discharged into the ocean via a chute into approximately 125n1 of water, forming a substantial mound at the base of the platform. A suite of seabed sediments was collected from 16 sampling sites at various distances from the platform immediately following the cessation of drilling operations. The distribution of hydrocarbons in the sediment directly under tile cuttings chute was consistent with that found in drilling fluids formulated from a kerosene-like fluid. The samples from more remote sites exhibited the successive enhancement of an unresolved complex mixture relative to the n-alkanes, associated with tile presence of residues from petroleum biodegradation processes. In a subsequent sampling some three years later, a 10 cm core was retrieved from the cuttings pile and divided into 1 cm depth intervals. Samples within 6 cm of the surface of the cuttings pile contained biodegraded residues of the drilling mud, where the extent of biodegradation increased with decreasing proximity to the surface, most likely indicative of aerobic biodegradation. Biodegradation was less evident in the underlying sediments, where anaerobic conditions prevailed.Analysis of the aromatic hydrocarbons in both sets of sediment extracts by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed the successive depletion of alkylnaphthalenes, and due to the subtlety of changes in the extent of biodegradation, provided an excellent opportunity to examine the susceptibility of biodegradation towards the individual alkylnaphthalenes in the marine environment. Conventional GC-MS analysis of these mixtures is performed under chromatographic conditions where complete resolution of the mixture is not achieved and several isomers co-elute. The mass spectra of these co-eluting isomers may be so similar that one is unable to differentiate between them, and their abundance may therefore not be determined. Since each isomer has a unique infrared spectrum, however, the abundance of each individual isomer was determined by comparing the infrared spectrum of the co-eluting compounds with the spectrum of each of the isomers. To this end, techniques were developed for the application of direct-deposition gas chromatography - Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (GCFTIR) to the analysis of the complex mixture of alkylnaphthalenes present in the petroleum. This technique was also extended to discriminate between individual alkylphenanthrene isomers, and to clarify the sorption behaviour of the dimethylphenanthrenes by mordenite molecular sieves. The identification of other compounds of geochemical significance in petroleum is also described.Analyses of' the aromatic hydrocarbons in the contaminated sea-floor sediments using GC-FTIR enabled the unambiguous identification and quantification of each of the dimethylnaphthalene, trimethylnaphthalene and tetramethylnaphthalene isomers present in the samples, from which the relative extents of depletion of each with increasing extent of biodegradation were determined. It was apparent from the considerable differences in the observed susceptibility to biodegradation that a strong relationship exists between the compound structure and its susceptibility to biodegradation, with 1,6-disubstituted polymethylnaphthalenes being preferentially depleted relative to other isomers that lack this feature. The second case study involved tracking the fate (weathering) of hydrocarbons from an accidental release of condensate from a buried pipeline into intertidal coastal (mangrove) sediments in North Western Australia. Sediment samples were collected on nine occasions over a three-year period. Chemical analysis of the saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon components of the petroleum extracts revealed that both hydrocarbon fractions exhibited an increasingly biodegraded profile with increased residence time in the sediments. In a similar manner to the first case study, detailed analysis of the aromatic hydrocarbons using GC-FTIR techniques was performed to determine the depletion of individual alkylnaphthalene isomers with increasing extent of biodegradation. It was apparent that a relationship similar to that observed for the sea-floor sediments exists between the alkylnaphthalene structure and its susceptibility to biodegradation.Changes in the distribution of methylphenanthrene and dimethylphenanthrene isomer mixtures were also studied and the susceptibility to biodegradation amongst these determined in a similar manner. These relative susceptibilities to biodegradation of the aromatic hydrocarbons were then related to the established hierarchy of susceptibilities of the saturated hydrocarbons, in effect providing a second parallel system for the assessment of the extent of biodegradation. Finally, a system of ratios calculated from the relative abundances of selected aromatic hydrocarbons was developed and used as indicators to differentiate between several crude oils that have been biodegraded to varying extents. These parameters also offer promise as indicators of multiple accumulation events in oil reservoirs where petroleum fluids biodegraded to differing extents are mixed.

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19

Stephens, Susan M. "The effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on the early life stages of turbot." Thesis, University of Exeter, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.361319.

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20

Amalfi, Frederick A., and Milton R. Sommerfeld. "Accumulation of Heavy Metals and Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Urban Lakes: Preliminary Results." Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/296412.

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From the Proceedings of the 1988 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Association and the Hydrology Section - Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science - April 16, 1988, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
A preliminary survey of several urban lakes in the Phoenix metropolitan area was undertaken to assess the degree of accumulation of priority pollutant metals and petroleum -based hydrocarbons in these impoundments. Three sediment samples were collected from each lake along a transect (from a probable point of stormwater addition to the opposite shore), and were composited on an equal weight basis prior to analysis. Total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations ranged from 30 to 8000 mg /kg dry weight. The concentration ranges (mg /kg dry weight) of total metals were: arsenic 7-26, copper 25-2800, chromium 14-55, nickel 5-40, lead < 1-138, selenium < 0.5-1.1, and zinc 33-239. Silver and cadmium were undetectable (< 5.0 and < 0.5 mg /kg, respectively). Factors that may be associated with the magnitude of accumulation in urban lakes include lake age, primary source of influent, reception of stormwater runoff, mechanical aeration of the water, and direct chemical addition.

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21

Edokpolo, Benjamin. "Health Risk Assessment for Exposure to Volatile Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Service Stations and Petroleum Refinery Environments Using Probabilistic Techniques." Thesis, Griffith University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366241.

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Petroleum refinery workers and service station attendants are continually exposed to benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) due to the emission of volatile aromatic hydrocarbons (VAHs) in these environments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the health risk from exposure to BTX in service stations and benzene in petroleum refinery environments by using probabilistic techniques as well as development of exposure guidelines for risk to human health with benzene. The health risk resulting from exposure to BTX in service stations and benzene exposure in petroleum refineries was carried out by using data from scientific literature from 21 countries globally based on 23 research papers. The data were collected and collated into different scenarios for service stations and petroleum refinery environments based on activity, location and occupation and were plotted as cumulative probability distributions (CPD) plots. There were 6 scenarios for service station environments and 4 scenarios for petroleum refinery environments. The exposure data from service stations and petroleum refinery environments were calculated in terms of average daily dose (ADD) and lifetime average daily dose (LADD).
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Engineering
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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22

Gaiennie, Edward Wilson Jr. "An Investigation into Secondary Migration of Hydrocarbons in the San Joaquin Basin Near Fresno, California." Thesis, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2019. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10815005.

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Prolific amounts of oil and gas have been produced from the San Joaquin Basin in many different oil and gas fields. In many cases, the petroleum system is easily identifiable, and the path hydrocarbons take from source area to trap are known. This study aims to identify secondary migration pathways of hydrocarbons from the source to the trap in an oil field near Fresno, California, where the source is about 35 miles from the trap. To create an accurate subsurface interpretation of the study area, 3D seismic data and more than 300 well logs were used. From subsurface structure maps, net sand maps, an Allan profile, and regional research, it was found that there are two possible migration scenarios that reasonably describe the secondary migration of hydrocarbons into the study area. Six normal faults within the field play large roles as seals and/or migration pathways, and to better understand hydrocarbon migration in the study area, further work must be done on the sealing/leaking behavior of the faults within the field.

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23

Ma, KeYang. "Hydrocarbon source and depositional environments in the central Papual Basin, Papua New Guinea /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2005. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18901.pdf.

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24

Smythe, Kirsten. "Using Petroleum Hydrocarbons (PHCs) to Characterize Contamination in the Cold Lake Oil Sands Region, Alberta." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/41155.

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In-situ oil sands operations have been the dominant method of bitumen extraction in Canada since 2012; however, research on contaminants attributed to this method is limited in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, compared to that of open-pit mining. The Cold Lake oil sands region operates using exclusively thermal in-situ extraction techniques, raising the issue of whether oil sands activity is resulting in petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contamination in the absence of open-pit mines, upgraders, refineries, tailings ponds, and other bitumen processing operations. The lack of baseline contamination levels prior to oil sands development hampers debate on contamination from the oil sands industry. We address this shortcoming by using regional lake sediment cores to characterize petroleum hydrocarbons and trace their origin within the Cold Lake oil sands deposit. Petroleum hydrocarbons are hydrophobic compounds that bind to sediments, therefore persisting and accumulating in aquatic environments. This thesis examines historical levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PACs), petroleum biomarkers, and n-alkanes in radiometrically dated sediment cores collected from the depocenter of lakes within the Cold Lake heavy oil field. We used alkylated PACs and a suite of petroleum biomarkers to evaluate in-situ operations as potential petroleum-derived contamination sources. We predicted that similarly to open-pit mining, concentrations of PHCs in lake sediments would increase with industrial activity corresponding to proximity from in-situ operations. Like open-pit regions, alkylated PACs in Cold Lake sediments were elevated when compared to unsubstituted parent PACs and were significantly enriched in lake sediments deposited after the onset of oil sands operations. These findings imply that in-situ oil sands activity is driving the enrichment; however, diagnostic ratios and pyrogenic indices confirm a strongly pyrogenic origin in both pre-industrial and more recent sediments. When compared to a Cold Lake bitumen sample, the principal components driving PHC enrichment do not resemble bitumen. Likewise, diagnostic ratios of petroleum biomarkers and n-alkanes do not support bitumen as a significant source of hydrocarbons. PHC inputs in lake sediments are instead from terrestrial vegetation and plant waxes. These findings suggest that bitumen is not significantly contributing to petroleum hydrocarbon enrichment to lakes within the Cold Lake oil field; however, emissions from in-situ activity (natural gas burning, diesel trucks, seismic line cutting etc.) is increasingly abundant in more recent sediment. With >80 % of Canadian bitumen reserves requiring in-situ techniques for extraction, this thesis provides the first assessment of the spatial and temporal relationship between contaminant loading and proximity to in-situ oil sands operations. Additionally, this study allows for the environmental implications of open-pit mining operations to now be compared to that of in-situ techniques.

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25

Riebel, Philippe N. "Acute effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on the arctic littoral mysid, mysis oculata (Fabricius)." Thesis, McGill University, 1988. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=61781.

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26

Lassalle, Guillaume. "Exploitation of hyperspectral data for assessing vegetation health under exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons." Thesis, Toulouse, ISAE, 2019. http://www.theses.fr/2019ESAE0030.

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L’exploration pétrolière et le monitoring de la contamination demeurent très limités dans les régions coloniséespar la végétation. La présence de suintements naturels et de fuites d’installations pétrolières est bien souventmasquée par le feuillage, rendant inopérantes les technologies actuelles de détection du pétrole brut et des produitspétroliers. L’exposition de la végétation à ces composés affecte toutefois son état de santé et, par conséquent, sespropriétés optiques dans le domaine [400:2500] nm. Cela suggère de pouvoir détecter les suintements et les fuitesd’installations de manière indirecte, en analysant l’état de santé de la végétation au travers de sa réflectancespectrale. Basée sur cette hypothèse, la présente thèse évalue le potentiel de l’imagerie hyperspectrale aéroportéeà très haute résolution spatiale pour détecter et quantifier la contamination pétrolière en région tempéréevégétalisée. Pour cela, une approche multi-échelles en trois étapes a été adoptée. La première étape a eu pourobjet de développer une méthode de détection et de caractérisation de la contamination en conditions contrôlées,exploitant les propriétés optiques de Rubus fruticosus L. La méthode proposée combine 14 indices de végétationen classification et permet de détecter divers contaminants pétroliers avec précision, depuis l’échelle de la feuillejusqu’à celle du couvert. Son utilisation en conditions naturelles a été validée sur un bourbier de productioncontaminé, colonisé par la même espèce. Au cours de la seconde étape, une méthode de quantification deshydrocarbures pétroliers totaux, basée sur l’inversion d’un modèle de transfert radiatif, a été développée. Cetteméthode exploite le contenu en pigments des feuilles, estimé à partir de leur signature spectrale, afin de prédireprécisément le taux de contamination en hydrocarbures du sol. La dernière étape de l’approche a démontré larobustesse des deux méthodes en imagerie aéroportée. Celles-ci se sont montrées très performantes pour détecteret quantifier la contamination des bourbiers. Une autre méthode de quantification, basée sur la régressionmultiple, a également été proposée. Au terme de cette thèse, les trois méthodes proposées ont été validées pourune utilisation sur le terrain, à l’échelle de la feuille et du couvert, ainsi qu’en imagerie hyperspectrale aéroportéeà très haute résolution spatiale. Leurs performances dépendent toutefois de l’espèce, de la saison et du niveau decontamination du sol. Une approche similaire a été conduite en conditions tropicales, permettant de mettre aupoint une méthode de quantification de la contamination adaptée à ce contexte. En vue d’une utilisationopérationnelle, un effort important reste nécessaire pour étendre le champ d’application des méthodes à d’autrescontextes et envisager leur application sur les futurs capteurs hyperspectraux embarqués sur satellite et sur drone.Enfin, l’apport de la télédétection active (radar et LiDAR) est à considérer dans les recherches futures, afin delever certaines limites propres à l’utilisation de la télédétection optique passive
Oil exploration and contamination monitoring remain limited in regions covered by vegetation. Natural seepages and oil leakages due to facility failures are often masked by the foliage, making ineffective the current technologies used for detecting crude oil and petroleum products. However, the exposure of vegetation to oil affects its health and, consequently, its optical properties in the [400:2500] nm domain. This suggest being able to detect seepages and leakages indirectly, by analyzing vegetation health through its spectral reflectance. Based on this assumption, this thesis evaluates the potential of airborne hyperspectral imagery with high spatial resolution for detecting and quantifying oil contamination in vegetated regions. To achieve this, a three-step multiscale approach was adopted. The first step aimed at developing a method for detecting and characterizing the contamination under controlled conditions, by exploiting the optical properties of Rubus fruticosus L. The proposed method combines 14 vegetation indices in classification and allows detecting various oil contaminants accurately, from leaf to canopy scale. Its use under natural conditions was validated on a contaminated mud pit colonized by the same species. During the second step, a method for quantifying total petroleum hydrocarbons, based on inverting the PROSPECT model, was developed. The method exploits the pigment content of leaves, estimated from their spectral signature, for predicting the level of hydrocarbon contamination in soils accurately. The last step of the approach demonstrated the robustness of the two methods using airborne imagery. They proved performing for detecting and quantifying mud pit contamination. Another method of quantification, based on multiple regression, was proposed. At the end of this thesis, the three methods proposed were validated for use both on the field, at leaf and canopy scales, and on airborne hyperspectral images with high spatial resolution. Their performances depend however on the species, the season and the level of soil contamination. A similar approach was conducted under tropical conditions, allowing the development of a method for quantifying the contamination adapted to this context. In a perspective of operational use, an important effort is still required for extending the scope of the methods to other contexts and for anticipating their use on satellite- and drone-embedded hyperspectral sensors. Finally, the contribution of active remote sensing (radar and LiDAR) should be considered in further research, in order to overcome some of the limits specific to passive optical remote sensing

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27

Fisher, Steven J. "The use of advanced analytical techniques for studying the biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons." Curtin University of Technology, School of Applied Chemistry, 2002. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=13440.

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Two case studies are described where partially biodegraded petroleum residues were collected from the marine environment and analysed to investigate the changes in aromatic hydrocarbons with increasing biodegradation.The first of these studies, involved following the weathering of sea-floor residues from drilling discharges from an offshore petroleum exploration and production platform situated off the coast of North Western Australia. During operations, formation cuttings with adhering oil-based drilling muds were discharged into the ocean via a chute into approximately 125n1 of water, forming a substantial mound at the base of the platform. A suite of seabed sediments was collected from 16 sampling sites at various distances from the platform immediately following the cessation of drilling operations. The distribution of hydrocarbons in the sediment directly under tile cuttings chute was consistent with that found in drilling fluids formulated from a kerosene-like fluid. The samples from more remote sites exhibited the successive enhancement of an unresolved complex mixture relative to the n-alkanes, associated with tile presence of residues from petroleum biodegradation processes. In a subsequent sampling some three years later, a 10 cm core was retrieved from the cuttings pile and divided into 1 cm depth intervals. Samples within 6 cm of the surface of the cuttings pile contained biodegraded residues of the drilling mud, where the extent of biodegradation increased with decreasing proximity to the surface, most likely indicative of aerobic biodegradation. Biodegradation was less evident in the underlying sediments, where anaerobic conditions prevailed.
Analysis of the aromatic hydrocarbons in both sets of sediment extracts by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed the successive depletion of alkylnaphthalenes, and due to the subtlety of changes in the extent of biodegradation, provided an excellent opportunity to examine the susceptibility of biodegradation towards the individual alkylnaphthalenes in the marine environment. Conventional GC-MS analysis of these mixtures is performed under chromatographic conditions where complete resolution of the mixture is not achieved and several isomers co-elute. The mass spectra of these co-eluting isomers may be so similar that one is unable to differentiate between them, and their abundance may therefore not be determined. Since each isomer has a unique infrared spectrum, however, the abundance of each individual isomer was determined by comparing the infrared spectrum of the co-eluting compounds with the spectrum of each of the isomers. To this end, techniques were developed for the application of direct-deposition gas chromatography - Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (GCFTIR) to the analysis of the complex mixture of alkylnaphthalenes present in the petroleum. This technique was also extended to discriminate between individual alkylphenanthrene isomers, and to clarify the sorption behaviour of the dimethylphenanthrenes by mordenite molecular sieves. The identification of other compounds of geochemical significance in petroleum is also described.
Analyses of' the aromatic hydrocarbons in the contaminated sea-floor sediments using GC-FTIR enabled the unambiguous identification and quantification of each of the dimethylnaphthalene, trimethylnaphthalene and tetramethylnaphthalene isomers present in the samples, from which the relative extents of depletion of each with increasing extent of biodegradation were determined. It was apparent from the considerable differences in the observed susceptibility to biodegradation that a strong relationship exists between the compound structure and its susceptibility to biodegradation, with 1,6-disubstituted polymethylnaphthalenes being preferentially depleted relative to other isomers that lack this feature. The second case study involved tracking the fate (weathering) of hydrocarbons from an accidental release of condensate from a buried pipeline into intertidal coastal (mangrove) sediments in North Western Australia. Sediment samples were collected on nine occasions over a three-year period. Chemical analysis of the saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon components of the petroleum extracts revealed that both hydrocarbon fractions exhibited an increasingly biodegraded profile with increased residence time in the sediments. In a similar manner to the first case study, detailed analysis of the aromatic hydrocarbons using GC-FTIR techniques was performed to determine the depletion of individual alkylnaphthalene isomers with increasing extent of biodegradation. It was apparent that a relationship similar to that observed for the sea-floor sediments exists between the alkylnaphthalene structure and its susceptibility to biodegradation.
Changes in the distribution of methylphenanthrene and dimethylphenanthrene isomer mixtures were also studied and the susceptibility to biodegradation amongst these determined in a similar manner. These relative susceptibilities to biodegradation of the aromatic hydrocarbons were then related to the established hierarchy of susceptibilities of the saturated hydrocarbons, in effect providing a second parallel system for the assessment of the extent of biodegradation. Finally, a system of ratios calculated from the relative abundances of selected aromatic hydrocarbons was developed and used as indicators to differentiate between several crude oils that have been biodegraded to varying extents. These parameters also offer promise as indicators of multiple accumulation events in oil reservoirs where petroleum fluids biodegraded to differing extents are mixed.

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28

Ba-Akdah, Mohammad Abdulaziz Salim. "Patterns in the uptake, release, distribution, and transfer of petroleum hydrocarbons in marine organisms." Thesis, Heriot-Watt University, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/10399/1304.

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29

Handy, Andrea Renee. "Acute Toxicity and Immunotoxicity Testing of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Aquatic and Terrestrial Organisms." Wright State University / OhioLINK, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1185910580.

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30

Bezza, Fisseha A. "Biosurfactant assisted bioremediation of petroleum and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aquatic and soil media." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/61284.

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Petroleum hydrocarbons are organic pollutants of major concern due to their wide distribution, persistence, complex composition, and toxicity. They can bioaccumulate in food chains where they disrupt biochemical or physiological activities and can affect genetic integrity of many organisms, resulting in carcinogenesis, mutagenesis and impairment of reproductive capacity. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been recognized as priority pollutants due to their carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic properties. Bioremediation, which utilizes the metabolic versatility of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi to degrade or detoxify hazardous wastes into harmless substances has been recognized as a sustainable, economic, environmentally friendly and versatile alternative for the remediation of many contaminated environments; however its effectiveness is limited by low bioavailability of nonaquous phase and soil-bound PAHs and petroleum hydrocarbons due to their low aqueous solubility, high hydrophobicity and strong sorption to soil. The purpose of this study was to investigate the PAHs and petroleum hydrocarbons bioavailability and subsequent biodegradation enhancement potential of biosurfactants. Biosurfactants have steadily gained increased significance in environmental applications such as bioremediation dueto several advantages over surfactants of chemical origin, such as biodegradability, environmental compatibility, low toxicity, high selectivity and specific activity at extreme temperature, pH and salinity. A series of experiments was designed to investigate the bioavailability and subsequent biodegradation enhancement potential of the biosurfactants produced by the bacterial strains Bacillus subtilis CN2, Ochrobactrum intermedium CN3, Paenibacillus dendritiformis CN5 and Bacillus cereus SPL_4 in liquid culture and soil microcosms with PAH-enriched microbial consortium from chronically contaminated sites. The biosurfactants exhibited a high level of thermal stability, tolerance to extreme levels of salinity and a positive effect for increasing pH. They were identified after Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC MS/MS) analyses. The biosurfactants physicochemical characterization displayed vast structural diversity and potent surface active properties of surface tension reduction and emulsion formation with a range of hydrocarbons. The lipopeptide biosurfactants produced by CN3 and CN2 enhanced degradations of used motor oil and petroleum sludge in liquid culture. In a shake flask pyrene degradation study, lipopeptide supplementations at 600 and 300 mg L-1 enhanced pyrene degradation to 83.5% and 67% respectively in 24 days compared to 16% degradation in its absence. However, degradation of pyrene was reduced to 57% as the lipopeptide supplementation was raised to 900 mg L 1. This demonstrates that the biodegradation of pyrene was found to increase with an increase in the lipopeptide concentration up to a threshold level. In a soil bioremedial study, microcosms supplemented with 0.2 and 0.6% (w/w) lipopeptide, 51.2% of 4-ring and 55% of 5- and 6-ring PAHs, 64.1% of 4-ring and 79% of 5- and 6-ring PAHs were removed respectively, compared to, 29% of 4-ring and 25.5% of 5- and 6-ring PAHs removal in the surfactant free control after 64 days of incubation. However, there was no statistically significant change in the degradation rates of low molecular weight PAHs in surfactant amended and surfactant free controls. The degradation of 5 and 6 ring PAHs was significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) in the higher surfactant dosage compared to the lower dosage. The results of this work demonstrated that the use of biosurfactants is a viable option to reduce clean-up time and for effective remediation of soil and aqueous media contaminated with polycyclic aromatic and petroleum hydrocarbons. The study demonstrated potential applications of microbial surfactants and provided an insight for further investigation of their large scale production for commercial applications.
Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016.
Chemical Engineering
PhD
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31

Zepeda, Diego Jose Cardenas. "Treatment of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Oil-Based Drill Cutting Mud Using BiOWiSH Bioaugmentation Products." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2015. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1440.

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The efficacy of BiOWiSHTM-Thai Aqua, a commercially discontinued microbial product, in remediating oil based drill-cutting mud (DCM) was researched in this study. Experimentation was performed directly on DCM and on sand contaminated with oil extracted from DCM. A gas chromatograph-mass spectrometrer and a respirometer were used for analysis of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and CO2 production respectively. Five experiments were analyzed by TPH extraction and analysis; four experiments were analyzed by respirometric analysis. The specific microcosm conditions tested in the experiments were control, nutrient-only control, and bioaugmentation product. This study concluded that there might be potential for bioaugmentation of TPH using BiOWiSHTM-Thai Aqua. However, a more extensive study including multiple replicates of samples over a longer sampling time period is required to make a conclusion. TPH analysis from the Sand Microcosm Experiment suggested that in seven days, the addition of BiOWiSHTM-Thai Aqua improved TPH removal relative to the control by 89% while the nutrient-only control improved by 58%. Respirometric analysis suggested CO2 respiration of glucose overshadowed CO2 respiration from biodegradation. Thus, major conclusions could not be made from the respirometric analysis.

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32

Basu, Pradipta Ranjan. "Evaluation of biological treatment for the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in a wastewater treatment plant." Texas A&M University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/2418.

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Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbon can be an effective treatment method applied to control oil pollution in both fresh water and marine environments. Hydrocarbon degraders, both indigenous and exogenous, are responsible for utilizing petroleum hydrocarbon as their substrate for growth and energy, thereby degrading them. Biodegradation of hydrocarbons is often enhanced by bioaugmentation and biostimulation depending on the contaminated environment and the competence of the hydrocarbon degraders present. An evaluation of the performance of the biological treatment of petroleum hydrocarbon by the hydrocarbon degrading microbes at the Brayton Fire School??s 4 million gallon per day (MGD) wastewater treatment plant was the main research objective. Samples were taken for two seasons, winter (Nov 03 ?? Jan 03) and summer (Jun 04 ?? Aug 04), from each of the four treatment units: the inlet tank, equalization tank, aeration tank and the outfall tank. The population of aliphatic hydrocarbon degraders were enumerated and nutrient availability in the system were used to evaluate the effectiveness of on-going bioaugmentation and biostimulation. Monitoring of general effluent parameters was conducted to evaluate the treatment plant??s removal efficiency and to determine if effluent discharge was in compliance with the TCEQ permit. The aeration tank is an activated sludge system with no recycling. Hydrocarbon degraders are supplied at a constant rate with additional nutrient supplement. There was a significant decrease in the population of microbes that was originally fed to the system and the quantity resident in the aeration tank. Nutrient levels in the aeration tank were insufficient for the concentration of hydrocarbon degraders, even after the application of dog food as a biostimulant. The use of dog food is not recommended as a nutrient supplement. Adding dog food increases the nitrogen and phosphorus concentration in the aeration tank but the amount of carbon being added with the dog food increases the total chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). An increase in the concentration of total COD and BOD further increases the nitrogen and phosphorus requirement in the system. The main objective of supplying adequate nutrients to the hydrocarbon degraders would never be achieved as there would be an additional demand of nutrients to degrade the added carbon source. This research study was conducted to identify the drawbacks in the treatment plant which needs further investigation to improve efficiency.

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33

Makhubele, Marvel M. H. "The role of salt tectonics in the hydrocarbon potential of the post-salt deposits (Albian to Recent), offshore Gabon." Thesis, University of Western Cape, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/3497.

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Magister Scientiae - MSc
Following successful discovery and production of hydrocarbons, Gabon is one of the key hydrocarbon target countries in Africa. Located in the Lower Congo Basin, the study area is based in Etame Marin Permit (EMP), which is licensed to VAALCO Energy Inc., and has been producing hydrocarbons since 2002. The currently explored and producing reservoirs are in the pre-salt sandstones of the Aptian Gamba Formation, charged with hydrocarbons sourced from the syn-rift lacustrine shale of the pre-Aptian Melania Formation. With the aim of finding potential petroleum plays in the post-salt successions and by using 3D prestack depth migration (PSDM) seismic sections and wireline logs, a detailed study of the post-Aptian stratigraphy and salt tectonics of the EMP was undertaken. Eight distinct reflectors were identified based on gamma ray signatures, stratal terminations and isopach trends. Sediment distribution patterns and the relative sea level history of the succession were determined by applying principles of sequence stratigraphy and salt tectonics. Furthermore, two potential plays have been outlined in the post-salt carbonates of the Albian Madiela Formation as well as in sandstones of the Turonian Azile Formation. These reservoirs might have been charged with hydrocarbons from the pre-salt shale of the Melania Formation and/or potentially also enriched from the Albian and Cenomanian shales. For these post-salt hydrocarbon reservoirs to be charged by the pre-salt source rocks, windows within the extensive evaporitic sealing of the Aptian Ezanga Formation were required. 3D PSDM seismic sections attest that diapirism of the Aptian salt unit generated ample hydrocarbon migration pathways from the pre-salt source rocks to post-salt reservoirs. Five well-developed potential salt windows have been identified, two of which have good probability to have facilitated the upward migration of hydrocarbons, because these salt windows are located up dip of oil producing wells. However, even if hydrocarbons are found in the post-salt reservoirs, similarly to the Yombo Field (located offshore Congo, south of the EMP), these shallow reservoirs in the EMP are likely to produce heavy oils due to biodegradation.

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34

Saari, E. (Eija). "Towards minimizing measurement uncertainty in total petroleum hydrocarbon determination by GC-FID." Doctoral thesis, University of Oulu, 2009. http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9789514260766.

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Abstract Despite tightened environmental legislation, spillages of petroleum products remain a serious problem worldwide. The environmental impacts of these spillages are always severe and reliable methods for the identification and quantitative determination of petroleum hydrocarbons in environmental samples are therefore needed. Great improvements in the definition and analysis of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) were finally introduced by international organizations for standardization in 2004. This brought some coherence to the determination and, nowadays, most laboratories seem to employ ISO/DIS 16703:2004, ISO 9377-2:2000 and CEN prEN 14039:2004:E draft international standards for analysing TPH in soil. The implementation of these methods, however, usually fails because the reliability of petroleum hydrocarbon determination has proved to be poor. This thesis describes the assessment of measurement uncertainty for TPH determination in soil. Chemometric methods were used to both estimate the main uncertainty sources and identify the most significant factors affecting these uncertainty sources. The method used for the determinations was based on gas chromatography utilizing flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Chemometric methodology applied in estimating measurement uncertainty for TPH determination showed that the measurement uncertainty is in actual fact dominated by the analytical uncertainty. Within the specific concentration range studied, the analytical uncertainty accounted for as much as 68–80% of the measurement uncertainty. The robustness of the analytical method used for petroleum hydrocarbon determination was then studied in more detail. A two-level Plackett-Burman design and a D-optimal design were utilized to assess the main analytical uncertainty sources of the sample treatment and GC determination procedures. It was also found that the matrix-induced systematic error may also significantly reduce the reliability of petroleum hydrocarbon determination. The results showed that strict implementation of the ISO and CEN draft standards is necessary owing to the method dependence of the analyzed parameter. Care should be taken to ensure that the methods used for petroleum hydrocarbon determination are comprehensively validated, and that routine quality control is carried out in order to ensure that the validation conclusions are applicable in the daily work.

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35

Malatova, Katarina. "Isolation and characterization of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria from environmental habitats in Western New York state /." Link to online version, 2005. https://ritdml.rit.edu/dspace/handle/1850/1186.

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36

Turki, Adnan Jaman. "An investigation of metal partitioning and organic pollution in surface sediments from Tees Bay and the Tees Estuary, UK." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/416.

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Concern about the possible contamination by metals, hydrocarbons and PCBs of Tees Bay and the Tees estuary, and potential sources of such materials has led to this study of surficial sediments. Surface sediment samples were collected from the Tees estuary and Tees Bay and were analysed for grain size, organic carbon content, metals, hydrocarbons (aliphatic and polyaromatic) and polychiorinated biphenyls (PCB5). The Tees estuary sediments are largely organic-rich clayey-silts, while the Bay sediments are organic-poor sands. All of the metals measured (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) have significantly higher concentrations in the sediments of the Tees estuary than in those of Tees Bay (F<0.01), and the mean averages decrease in the order Zn > Pb> Cr> Cu > Ni > Co> Cd. These significantly higher concentrations remain apparent when the data are normalized to remove the effect of grain size variation, suggesting that the sediments of the Tees estuary are enriched in metals in comparison with the sediments of Tees Bay and that these differences are not the result of the different grain size distributions. Metal partitioning was determined by sequential extraction, using the scheme of Tessier et al. (1979) as recently modified by Ajayi and Van Loon (1989), in order to assess the likely behaviour of metals in the sediments studied. The results of the sequential extraction showed that the partitioning patterns of Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn differed between the marine and estuarine sediments. In the Tees Bay sediments the residual fraction hosted >50% of all of the metals, except Cd and Pb. In the Tees estuary, however, this fraction only accounted for >50% of the Cd, Co and Ni. Significant portions of Cd are contained in fractions 1 and 2 in both the Tees estuary sediments and those from Tees Bay. Because of the toxicity and availability of Cd this may pose a serious problem to the ecosystem. The total Pb in the sediments is also quite high, particularly in the Tees estuary, and even the small proportion in fraction 2 could cause deleterious effects. High concentrations of Cd and Pd, in Tees Bay and the Tees estuary sediments, and Cr and Zn, in Tees estuary sediments, were associated with fraction 3. Concern is directed to heavy metals associated with fraction 3 because changing environmental conditions can transfer these elements from the sediments into the aqueous phase. Cu was the only metal significantly associated with fraction 4. This fraction is likely to have an important role as a sink for trace metals, particularly for Cu and to a lesser extent Cr and Zn. Petroleum hydrocarbons, both aliphatic and polyaromatic (PAHs), were detected and quantified in all samples. The distributions of the n-alkanes, acyclic isoprenoids (especially pristane from coal), triterpanes and steranes, in most sediments from both areas, were indicative of pollution by fossil fuels. On the other hand, a few sediments from the estuary contain hydrocarbons from both biogenic and anthropogenic sources. Polyaromatic hydrocarbon assemblages observed in the samples were relatively rich in hydrocarbons having petrogenic origins. However, the presence of pyrolytic derived components was also indicated by several characteristic component composition ratios. Single PCB congeners were determined in the sediments studied. The PCB profile is fairly constant in sediments from both areas and similar to that of Aroclor 1260 and 1254. The similarity to the commercial mixtures, with only a slight enrichment of the lighter congeners, indicates that sources responsible for PCB pollution are located in the Tees area. The sediments of the Tees estuary tend to be more highly polluted, by metals, hydrocarbons and PCBs, than those of the Bay, particularly in the middle section of the estuary. However, there is a general decrease in the concentrations of these compounds from the middle to the mouth of the estuary, while within the Bay area offshore sites showed higher concentrations. Distributions of inorganic and organic constituents in the Tees Bay were significantly influenced by the organic carbon content and particle size of sediments.

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37

Dale, Jason D. "Controls on the distribution of alkylphenols and aromatic hydrocarbons in crude oils and coexisting waters." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.337376.

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38

Brice, Kathryn May. "Investigation into the use of chicken manure to enhance the biodegradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2006. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/56142/.

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The use of chicken manure to enhance the biodegradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in composting bioremediation was investigated to help develop an improved understanding of the chemical, biological and toxicological processes involved. Treatability studies combined with an extensive suite of laboratory analyses were designed and undertaken whereby naturally contaminated oil refinery sludge was either amended with chicken manure or left unamended for a total duration of 90 days. The effects of chicken manure on the biodegradation of fractionated aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, differentiation between biostimulation and bioaugmentation effects of chicken manure, and the potentially detrimental effects of chicken manure on the bioremediation process through the introduction and adverse proliferation of non-hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms and the potential introduction of compounds that may elicit toxic effects on hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms were monitored over the duration of the treatability studies using a combination of chemical, toxicity and microbial laboratory analyses. This study found that the addition of chicken manure enhanced the degradation of C9-C12 aliphatic hydrocarbons. It was found that this reflects a combination of biostimulation and bioaugmentation effects and that volatilisation was minimal. This investigation also found that the addition of chicken manure can have positive effects on bioremediation as evident by the enhancement of conditions for microbial growth and/or activity, introduction and enhanced growth of potential hydrocarbon degrading bacterial populations, and the enhanced reduction in toxicity of methanol extractable hydrocarbons. However, it was found that the addition of chicken manure was seen to cause an increase in toxicity of total leachable compounds, which may present a risk to TPH biodegradation through potential toxic effects on hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms. It is concluded from this study that there is a potential for the use of chicken manure to enhance TPH biodegradation, but that this is likely restricted to low molecular weight hydrocarbons.

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39

Francis-Obika, Chinny Obiamaka. "Development and application of techniques to monitor natural attenuation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the environment." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2004. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU193357.

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The works carried out in this thesis exploited the application of nutrients and microbial additions to environments to enhance natural attenuation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminant. These sites include former historically site contaminated with solvents [benzene, toluene, ethylbenze, xylene (BTEX)], an intertidal location at the Aberdeen Harbour polluted with diesel, a location at the periphery of the Burgan oil field in Kuwaiti desert contaminated with crude oil, and drill cuttings from the North Sea that was contaminated with paraffin and diesel. The effect of the treatments on the parameters tested was used to determine the performance of natural attenuation in studied environments. The parameters tested include respiration (carbon dioxide production), microbial dehydrogenase activity, microbial population and biomass, bioavailability of contaminants and toxicity testing. In addition, results from gas chromatography (GC-FID) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) complemented biological tests. The treatments resulted in significant changes in the parameters tested and by correlating the observations to the reduction of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in the environments studied, the success of natural attenuation and bioremediation was confirmed. Techniques were manipulated to suit individual case studies. In response to nutrient and oxygen enhancement of the BTEX contaminated soil, the biomass of degradative microbial population was significantly stimulated. Results of significant increases in respiration and dehydrogenase activity coincided with completed biodegradation of BTEX in the soil. Oxygen that was released from hydrogen peroxide was found to be very effective in achieving significant biodegradation of benzene and toluene when combined with nitrogen and phosphorus. This could have implications for bioremediation of these compounds as the cost of oxygen supply becomes expensive. The bioavailability of BTEX compounds in the soil studied was successfully demonstrated by the used of Pseudomonas putida TVA8 biosensor, a sensor specific to these target molecules. It was observed that concentrations of BTEX that were not detected by HPLC were sensed by the biosensor. The bioremediation of North Sea drill cuttings contaminated with paraffin and diesel was achieved by nutrient additions and inoculation with soil microorganisms. Pre-treatment with steam was observed to be most effective in enhancing the biodegradation of paraffin oil contaminated drill cuttings, while pre-treatment with combined steam and ozone was most effective for enhancing biodegradation of paraffin and diesel contaminated drill cuttings. The metabolic biosensor Saccharomyces cerevisiae W303-1B (lucD) was more sensitive to water extracts of the drill cuttings than Escherichia coli HB101 (pUCD607), suggesting the use of the yeast biosensor in toxicity testing in cases requiring stricter treatment regime.

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40

Buell, Nancy Rebecca. "Derivitives of petroleum hydrocarbons upon reaction with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in a laboratory environment." Master's thesis, Mississippi State : Mississippi State University, 2008. http://library.msstate.edu/etd/show.asp?etd=etd-03312008-173255.

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41

Ausma, Sandra. "Landfarming of petroleum hydrocarbons, development and evaluation of methods to monitor their impact on the atmosphere." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/NQ58301.pdf.

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42

Uzukwu, Chukwuemeka. "The biodegradation of hydrocarbons using open mixed culture for microbial enhanced oil recovery and bioremediation." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2017. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=231857.

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This research has investigated the biodegradation of hydrocarbons particularly n-alkanes using open mixed culture which is relevant for both microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) and the bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils. Biodegradation of n-C12, C14, C16, C18, C20 and some readily biodegradable substrates (glucose, acetic acid and ethanol) was studied using a respirometric method developed to assess the biodegradability of these compounds. Laboratory batch and semi-continuous experiments were performed in small-scale bioreactors at room temperature and 40oC under various conditions i.e. aerobic, anoxic with nitrate, sulfate reducing and completely anaerobic conditions using two different sources of open mixed microbial cultures obtained from an agricultural site and anaerobic digestion plant. Glucose, acetic acid, ethanol, C12, C14 and C16 were degraded microbially under aerobic batch conditions to nondetectable levels at room temperature and 40oC using the two sources of inoculum whereas C18 and C20 were degraded partially under room temperature and to nondetectable levels at 40oC with the two inocula sources. Under aerobic semi-continuous, glucose and the n-alkane substrate were biodegraded even at low hydraulic retention time (HRT). Under anaerobic conditions, the n-alkanes were utilized by the soil inoculum at room temperature and at 40oC with nitrate as the electron acceptor but no microbial activity was observed under sulfate reducing and completely anaerobic conditions. The open mixed cultures require an initial acclimation period before utilizing the substrates. The acclimation period was significantly shorter under aerobic conditions than anaerobic conditions for the n-alkanes. Acclimation periods of approximately 1-2 days under aerobic conditions was observed for the readily biodegradable substrates and 2 days for glucose under anoxic conditions. The acclimation periods for the nalkanes was between 3-5 days under aerobic conditions and approximately 2 weeks under anoxic conditions. The acclimation period was not affected by the substrate concentration and inoculum type however, for the n-alkanes, the acclimation period was reduced by 1-2days under aerobic conditions at 40oC. The biodegradation of the liquid hydrocarbons was more significant than the solids at room temperature but in general higher temperature increased the degree of biodegradation. The electron acceptor consumption data i.e. dissolved oxygen and nitrate consumption data obtained was mathematically modelled using Monod kinetics to obtain biokinetic parameters. Good fittings between the model solution and the experimental data was obtained. The biokinetic parameters obtained were within the range of values reported in literature. The use of respirometric data for the estimation of biodegradation kinetic parameters can be very reliable. The consistency of the data obtained show that the approach is very reproducible and quality information can be obtained. The results of this study showed that the open mixed microbial cultures from soil and AD inocula contained diverse microorganisms capable of utilizing both liquid and solid n-alkanes at room temperature and 40oC under aerobic and anoxic conditions.

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43

Brauner, J. Steven. "Impacts of Sequential Microbial Electron Accepting Processes on Natural Attenuation of Selected Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the Subsurface Environment." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/26339.

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Regulatory acceptance of monitored natural attenuation (MNA) requires demonstration that natural processes, such as sorption and biodegradation, attenuate specific contaminants of concern on a time scale that is comparable to other remediation options while concurrently preventing contaminant migration to site-specific points of contact. Two of the tools used to demonstrate the efficacy of MNA, microcosm experiments and numerical fate and transport modeling, were examined in this study. In the first phase of this work, laboratory microcosm studies were initiated as part of an overall MNA site assessment to determine whether a native microbial consortia collected with a soil sample from a petroleum-hydrocarbon contaminated site was capable of biodegrading specific polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds. Results indicated that selected PAH compounds were biodegraded under simulated natural conditions using oxygen and sulfate as electron acceptors. In the second phase of this study, a numerical experiment was conducted using the three-dimensional, multiple substrate, multiple electron acceptor fate and transport model SEAM3D (Waddill and Widdowson, 1997) to evaluate the impact of including iron(III)-reducing conditions during numerical simulations of natural attenuation. Results for this phase of the study indicated that the mass of hydrocarbon simulated as biodegraded by the iron(III)-reducing population was significantly larger than hydrocarbon biodegradation under aerobic conditions. The final component of research used the SEAM3D model to interpret field observations recorded during a natural attenuation experiment where the fate and transport of selected hydrocarbon contaminants (BTEX and naphthalene) was tracked through an extremely heterogeneous, but well-instrumented test aquifer. Results from the calibrated model for the NATS experiment indicated that the majority of the contaminant remained in the non-aqueous phase during the first year of the experiment, and that aerobic biodegradation was the dominant natural attenuation process. Model results were particularly sensitive to the rate of contaminant release and the starting mass of electron acceptor.
Ph. D.

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44

Hatch, Rachel S. "DISTRIBUTION AND IMPACTS OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS IN LOUISIANA TIDAL MARSH SEDIMENTS FOLLOWING THE DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL." UKnowledge, 2013. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/ees_etds/14.

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Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill, sediment cores were analyzed from marshes at various levels of oiling to determine how deeply oil penetrated sediment in these marsh environments, and if at these sites it had quantifiably affected benthic ecosystems. Minimum mixing depths were determined from penetration of the lithogenic radionuclide 234Th, which ranged from 0.25 to 4.5 cm. Sediment accumulation rates were determined using 210Pb, with verification from 137Cs in selected cores. Lead-210 profiles revealed long-term (decadal) mixing. Bay Jimmy, Louisiana was significantly affected by the DWH oil spill, as indicated by total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations of up to 21,913 ppb. This is far above the level at which adverse biological effects occur (4,022 ppb). Benthic foraminifera responded to the heavy oiling by decreases to standing stock and depth of habitation relative to unoiled sites, as well as exhibiting deformities. These data clearly show that oil can be quickly mixed into salt marsh sediments, with demonstrable impacts on indigenous benthos. Further, radioisotope inventories indicated that most of the sampled sites are in a net erosional state. Should marshes containing trapped DWH oil be submerged by rising sea level, there is a great potential for the remobilization of oil.

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45

Holland, Robert David. "Characterization of the lysosomal compartment in Fucus serratus L. and the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on development." Thesis, University of Exeter, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.388626.

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46

Marzooghi, Solmaz. "Phototoxic target lipid model for predicting the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum to aquatic life." Thesis, University of Delaware, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10191762.

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The objective of this doctoral dissertation is to develop a model to predict the phototoxicity of petroleum and petroleum components to aquatic organisms. Petroleum contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylated PAHs and heterocyclic PAHs some of which absorb light in the ultraviolet light (UV) and visible (VIS) regions. The result is increased photo-enhanced toxicity, by a factor of two to greater than 1000 in the presence of light.

The PAHs in petroleum differ in their properties, such as octanol-water partitioning coefficients and molar absorption spectra, and each may exhibit phototoxicity. It is inefficient and impractical to conduct toxicity tests on all the chemicals and all the organisms of concern. Even if the testing was undertaken, it is not clear how to interpret the results and use them for phototoxic risk assessments where light conditions and time of exposure vary. Accordingly, there has been a considerable effort expended to develop models to predict the phototoxicity of PAHs to the aquatic organisms. In each of the previous modeling frameworks various combination of the underlying factors in phototoxicity were incorporated to varying degrees. However, no model included all elements in a unified modeling framework such that the model can be applicable to all PAHs, PAH mixtures, organisms, and light exposure conditions.

In this dissertation, a phototoxic target lipid model (PTLM) is developed to predict phototoxicity of single PAHs measured either as median lethal concentration (LC50) at a fixed duration of exposure or median lethal time (LT50) at a fixed concentration. The model accounts for differences in the physical and chemical properties of PAHs and test species sensitivities, as well as variations in light characteristics, such as length of exposure, and the light source irradiance spectrum and intensity. The PTLM is based on the narcotic target lipid model (NTLM) of PAHs. Both models rely on the assumption that mortality occurs when the toxicant concentration in the target lipid of the organism reaches a threshold concentration. The model is calibrated using 333 observations of LC50s and LT50s for 20 individual PAHs, 15 test species, and various UV light exposure conditions and times ranging from 1 hour to 100 hours. The LC50 concentrations range from less than 0.1 to greater that 10⁴ μg/L. The model has two fitting parameters that are shown to be constant across PAHs and organisms. The compound specific parameters incorporated in the PTLM are the octanol-water partition coefficient and molar absorption coefficient. The critical target lipid body burden is the only organism specific parameter. The root mean square error (RMSE) of prediction for log(LC50) and log(LT50) are 0.473 and 0.382, respectively. Other phototoxic components of petroleum include alkylated PAHs (APAHs) and benzothiophenes. The PTLM is validated by predicting the observed phototoxic LT50 and LC50 of those chemicals exposed to four different species under different light conditions with RMSE = 0.478. The results support the PTLM capability to predict the phototoxicity of single PAHs for organisms with a wide range of sensitivity and for various light exposure conditions.

Modeling the phototoxicity of mixtures is accomplished by using the toxic unit (TU) approach and TU additivity. The model is validated by predicting the phototoxicity of the binary and ternary mixtures of three PAHs, pyrene, anthracene, and fluoranthene exposed to Americamysis bahia and Menidia beryllina. The comparison between the observed and predicted phototoxicity for the mixtures results in RMSE = 0.274.

The PTLM is applied to predict petroleum phototoxicity of the water accommodated fraction for three field collected oil samples, MASS (neat oil), CTC (moderately weathered oil), and Juniper (heavily weathered oil) exposed to four aquatic species indigenous to the Gulf of Mexico, M. beryllina, A. bahia, Cyprinodon variegatus, and Fundulus grandis using natural or simulated solar radiation. For cases in which no phototoxicity was observed, the PTLM predictions are correct in over 70% of the cases (10 out of 14 predictions). When toxicity was observed the RMSE = 0.321.

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47

Tremante, Vincent Joseph. "The effects of organic soil amendments in bioretention soil mixes on the removal of total petroleum hydrocarbons." The Ohio State University, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1303141024.

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48

Schindler, Kimberly J. "THE LINKS BETWEEN GULF OF MEXICO SEAFLOOR CHARACTERISTICS AND PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS FOLLOWING THE DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL." UKnowledge, 2019. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/ees_etds/78.

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The Gulf of Mexico (GoMx) is among the most productive regions for offshore oil and natural gas recovery. In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) drilling rig exploded, burned for three days, sank, and released over 4 million barrels of oil in the subsequent 84 days before it was capped. Some oil was buoyant enough to float to the ocean surface, where some was removed via a myriad techniques. Importantly, a plume of oil remained suspended in the water column at approximately 1,100 m water depth, where it drove a marine snow event, and deposited large quantities of oil on the seafloor. The northern GoMx seafloor is complex and dynamic. Submarine canyons, mounds, channels, and salt domes dominate the seafloor along the continental slope surrounding the DWH well. Using high-resolution bathymetric data, variables derived to characterize the seafloor (water depth, distance, slope, and aspect), and spatial relationships between seafloor stations and the DWH well, relationships between concentrations, fluxes and inventories of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and other seafloor variables were hypothesized to be statistically significantly related. The most significant seafloor characteristic to predict distributions was water depth, followed by distance, relative aspect, and slope.

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Gomez, Francisco. "Assessment and Optimization of Ex-Situ Bioremediation of Petroleum Contaminated Soil under Cold Temperature Conditions." Thèse, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/30565.

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Current prices and demand for petroleum hydrocabons have generated an increase of oil spills around the country and the world. Health and environmental impacts associated to these organic pollutants represent a huge concern for the general public, leading the public and private sector to develop new technologies and methods to minimize or eliminate those risks. Ex-Situ bioremediation through biopiles, as a main remediation technique to treat a wide range of hydrocarbons, has been a topic of considerable research interest over the last years. It provides an economical and environmental solution to restore the environment to background levels. Nevertheless, successful bioremediation under cold climate conditions is of considerable concern in countries like Canada, as low temperatures can delay the rate of bioremediation of oil hydrocarbons, thus limiting the operation of soil treatment facilities to certain times of the year. Recent research has found out that bioremediation could be conducted even at low or cold temperatures with larger periods of times. And even more, the addition of petroleum degrading microorganisms (bioaugmentation) and nutrients or biosurfactants (biostimulation) could enhance the process in some cases. In the present study, a comprehensive assessment of bioaugmentation and biostimulation strategies for ex-situ bioremediation of petroleum contaminated soil under cold climate conditions is proposed. Field scale biopiles were constructed and subjected to different concentrations of commercial microbial consortia and mature compost, as bioaugmentation and biostimulation strategies, in a soil treatment facility at Moose Creek, Ontario over a period of 94 days (November 2012 to February 2013). Assessment and comparison of the biodegradation rates of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and their fractions were investigated. Furthermore, a response surface methodology (RSM) based on a factorial design to investigate and optimize the effects of the microbial consortia application rate and amount of compost on the TPH removal was also assessed. Results showed that biopiles inoculated with microbial consortia and amended with 10:1 soil to compost ratio under aerobic conditions performed the best, degrading 82% of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) with a first-order kinetic degradation rate of 0.016 d_1, under cold temperature conditions. The average removal efficiencies for TPHs after 94 days for control biopiles, with no amendments or with microbial consortia or compost only treatments were 48%, 55%, and 52%, respectively. Statistical analyses indicated a significant difference (p < 0.05) within and between the final measurements for TPHs and a significant difference between the treatment with combined effect, and the control biopiles. On the other hand, the modeling and optimization statistical analysis of the results showed that the microbial consortia application rate, compost amendment and their interactions have a significant effect on TPHs removal with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.88, indicating a high correlation between the observed and the predicted values for the model obtained. The optimum concentrations predicted via RSM were 4.1 ml m-3 for microbial consortia application rate, and 7% for compost amendment to obtain a maximum TPH removal of 90.7%. This research contributes to provide valuable knowledge to practitioners about cost-effective and existing strategies for ex-situ bioremediation under cold weather conditions.

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Tamkin, Abigail. "Assessment of Bioretention Performance for Hydrology and Hydrocarbons." The Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555580019531945.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Petroleum hydrocarbons'

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