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PHYTOREMEDIATION OF PETROLEUM CONTAMINATED SOIL: A TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROJECT

M.K. Banks¹, A.P. Schwab² and R.S. Govindaraju¹
¹Department of Civil Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506 and ²Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506

ABSTRACT

A common environmental problem associated with the pumping and refining of crude oil is contamination of soil with petroleum products. Vegetation may play an important role in the biodegradation of petroleum contaminants in soil. The establishment of vegetation may be an economical, effective, low maintenance approach to remediation and stabilization. The use of plants for remediation may be especially well-suited for soils contaminated to depths of less than 2 meters.

In this project, several petroleum contaminated field sites have been chosen in collaboration with industrial partners. These sites have been thoroughly characterized for chemical properties, physical properties and initial TPH concentrations. A variety of plant species have been established on two of the sites. Soil analyses for target compounds over time will be reported. Results from this study will allow us to assess the efficiency and applicability of this remediation method.

Key words: bioremediation, vegetation, petroleum, biodegradation, rhizosphere


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