ADVANCED BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION OF HARBOUR, COASTAL, AND CHANNEL SEDIMENTS

摘要

Bioremediation technologies have been steadily increasing in recent years as an environmental friendly application for the treatment of polluted waters and organic sludge removal in ditches, ponds, channels, harbours and coasts. Closed water basins, both marine and internal, are complex ecosystems, where an increase in the organic load produced by different pollutants such as hydrocarbons and other organic compounds causes an imbalance that results in high turbidity and eutrophication of these water bodies. This may lead to septisation in the sediments and consequent unpleasant odours release. In this paper we report on successful applications of biological remediation by means of fixed microorganisms inoculation to reduce organic sediments accumulation in sewage collector tanks in the Commune of Pisa and in the marine sediments in the area of Genoa Ancient Harbour. An overall average reduction of 60% of the sediment sludge volume in the sewage Commune of Pisa was achieved within 6 months of the treatment. Successful bioremediation in the Genoa Ancient Harbour was also achieved with an overall average reduction equivalent to 6000m~3 volume of the sediment layer within the harbour area. This technology had positive effects on the ecosystems, without causing any danger or pathogenic diseases to the inhabitants including humans, aquatic organisms or the environment in general.