Enhanced Degradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Corn-Steep-Liquor-Treated Soil Microcosm

摘要

The efficiency of corn steep liquor (CSL) as a potential stimulant for remediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil was evaluated in soil microcosms. Chronically polluted soil samples treated with CSL, water, and un untreated control were compared over a period of 42days. There were remarkable changes in the physicochemical status of the soil in the CSL-treated set-up with noticeable utilization of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Percentage hydrocarbon utilizers showed a concomitant increase with hydrocarbon utilization in CSL-treated (0.05-0.16%) and water-treated (0.02-0.12%) set-ups, while no significant changes occurred in the untreated control. Gas chromatographic fingerprints showed complete disappearance of the lower-fraction alkanes C-7, C-8, C-9, and C-11 within 21days, as well as some higher fractions, significantly C-16 and C-29, in the CSL-treated set-up. In the CSL-treated set-up, 77.9% of hydrocarbon was degraded, while the corresponding values for the water-treated and untreated control were 40.55 and 30.6%, respectively. The percentage aliphatic components degraded differed significantly in the CSL-treated, water-treated, and untreated set-ups. The n-C-17/pristane and n-C-18/phytane ratios in the CSL-treated set-up were 1.298 and 1.153, respectively, on day 0, but at the end of the treatability period, the values had dropped drastically to 0.182 and 0.585, respectively. The results of this study show that corn steep liquor is a potential material for bioremediation of hydrocarbon-polluted sites.