This synthesis will be of interest to state transportation personnel involved with project planning and location (administrative and regulatory personnel), design staff (general civil, geotechnical, and environmental engineers), and project managers (construction and maintenance engineers and staff). It will also be of interest to federal and state environmental agencies and to environmental consultants and contractors as well as to trainers in the field of petroleum-contaminated soil remediation. This synthesis describes the remedial technologies that may be available to transportation agencies faced with the regulatory responsibility to clean or remediate petroleum-contaminated soils in the vadose zone (unsaturated soils above the groundwater table) at a particular site as well as the state of the practice within the agencies. This report of the Transportation Research Board describes the applicability and cost-effectiveness of alternate technologies to remediate petroleum-contaminated soil. Practices currently being used by state transportation agencies to remediate petroleum-contaminated soils, both on site and off site are also described. This summary of transportation agency practice complements the limited telephone survey of soil remediation techniques that was performed in preparing NCHRP Report 351, Hazardous Wastes in Highway Rights-of-Way.

These three volumes provide valuable information to help bring rational and scientifically feasible solutions to petroleum contaminated soils. State-of-the-art information on both technical and regulatory issues is covered, including environmental fate, health effects, risk assessment and remedial alternatives. They show why petroleum contaminated soils are a problem - and propose solutions for that problem. These books are an excellent reference for regulatory personnel and environmental consultants at all levels.

The term “total petroleum hydrocarbons” (TPHs) is used for any mixture of several hundred hydrocarbons found in crude oil, and they represent the sum of volatile petroleum hydrocarbons and extractable petroleum hydrocarbons. The petrol-range organics include hydrocarbons from C6 to C10, while diesel-range organics are C10-C28 hydrocarbons. Environmental pollution by petroleum hydrocarbons is one of the major global concerns, particularly in oil-yielding countries. In fact, there are more than five million potentially contaminated areas worldwide that represent, in general, a lost economic opportunity and a threat to the health and well-being of humans and the environment. Petroleum-contaminated sites constitute almost one-third of the total sites polluted with chemicals around the globe. The land contamination caused by industrialization was recognized as early as the 1960s, but less than a tenth of potentially contaminated lands have been remediated due to the nature of the contamination, cost, technical impracticability, and insufficient land legislation and enforcement. This book is the first single source that provides comprehensive information on the different aspects of TPHs, such as sources and range of products, methods of analysis, fate and bioavailability, ecological implications including impact on human health, potential approaches for bioremediation such as risk-based remediation, and regulatory assessment procedures for TPH-contaminated sites. As such, it is a valuable resource for researchers, graduate students, technicians in the oil industry and remediation practitioners, as well as policy makers.

Traditional reliance on chemical analysis to understand the direction and extent of treatment in a bioremediation process has been found to be inadequate. Whereas the goal of bioremediation is toxicity reduction, few direct, reliable measures of this process are as yet available. Another area of intense discussion is the assessment of market forces contributing to the acceptability of bioremediation. Finally, another important component is a series of lectures and lively exchanges devoted to practical applications of different bioremediation technologies. The range of subjects covers a wide spectrum, encompassing emerging technologies as well as actual, full-scale operations. Examples discussed include landfarming, biopiling, composting, phytoremediation and mycoremediation. Each technology is explored for its utility and capability to provide desired treatment goals. Advantages and limitations of each technology are discussed. The concept of natural attenuation is also critically evaluated since in some cases where time to remediation is not a significant factor, it may be an alternative to active bioremediation operations.

Biosurfactants for a Sustainable Future Explore the state-of-the-art in biosurfactant technology and its applications in environmental remediation, biomedicine, and biotechnology Biosurfactants for a Sustainable Future explores recent developments in biosurfactants and their use in a variety of cutting-edge applications. The book opens a window on the rapid development of microbiology by explaining how microbes and their products are used in advanced medical technology and in the sustainable remediation of emerging environmental contaminants. The book emphasizes the different techniques that are used for the production of biosurfactants from microorganisms and their characterization. Various aspects of biosurfactants, including structural characteristics, developments, production, bio-economics and their sustainable use in the environment and biomedicine, are addressed, and the book also presents metagenomic strategies to facilitate the discovery of novel biosurfactants producing microorganisms. Readers will benefit from the inclusion of: A thorough introduction to the state-of-the-art in biosurfactant technology, techniques, and applications An exploration of biosurfactant enhanced remediation of sediments contaminated with organics and inorganics A discussion of perspectives for biomedical and biotechnological applications of biosurfactants A review of the antiviral, antimicrobial, and antibiofilm potential of biosurfactants against multi-drug-resistant pathogens. An examination of biosurfactant-inspired control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Perfect for academic researchers and scientists working in the petrochemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, and in the agroindustry, Biosurfactants for a Sustainable Future will also earn a place in the libraries of scientists working in environmental biotechnology, environmental science, and biomedical engineering.

This book combines the results of current research with essential background material to provide complete, in-depth coverage of every aspect of in situ and ex situ bioremediation, as well as an extensive overview of the physical and chemical processes currently available for treating petroleum-contaminated soils. Critical information has been collected and assembled under one cover to provide a convenient reference for anyone who must contend with this worldwide problem. Remediation of Petroleum Contaminated Soils: Biological, Physical, and Chemical Processes describes how to optimize the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil-water systems. It reports on the susceptibility of various petroleum components to biodegradation by microorganisms, and considers all groups of microorganisms for their potential contributions. The book also deals with problem areas such as the transport of organisms, oxygen, or nutrients throughout the subsurface, as well as biodegradation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). In addition, the book presents a variety of methods for monitoring bioremediation. This reference discusses current soil remediation processes and includes many innovative approaches. It also investigates means of controlling volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and leachate, and addresses methods for collecting and treating these secondary waste streams. The expansive coverage of this book will furnish readers with a wide range of options for developing treatment strategies and for customizing procedures for specific requirements.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of innovative remediation techniques and strategies for soils contaminated by heavy metals or organic compounds (e.g. petroleum hydrocarbons, NAPLs and chlorinated organic compounds). It discusses various novel chemical remediation approaches (in-situ and ex-situ) used alone and in combination with physical and/or thermal treatment. Further, it addresses the recovery of NAPLs, reuse of leaching solutions, and in-situ chemical reduction and oxidation, and explores the chemical enhancement of physical NAPLs recovery from both practical and theoretical perspectives. Also presenting the state-of-the-art in waste-assisted bioremediation to improve soil quality and the remediation of petroleum hydrocarbons, the book is a valuable resource for students, researchers and R&D professionals in industry engaged in the treatment of contaminated soils.