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[An off site petroleum-contaminated soil bioremediation technology: soil compositing in windrow].

With off-site bioremediation technology, a soil contaminated by crude oil from Liaohe Oil Field was treated on a 20 x 10 m prepared bed. 8 composting windrow units were set, each measured 8 m in length, 2 m in width, and 0.35 m in height. The results showed that when the pollutant petroleum hydrocarbon(TPH) was within the range of 4.16-7.72 g.100 g-1 soil, the total degradation rate of TPH reached 45.19%-56.74% after 53 days operation, which indicated that a technological basis would be provided for the bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

[The application of genetic engineering to the petroleum biodesulfurization].

The developed course and reaction mechanisms of petroleum biodesulfurization were introduced. The recent development of genetic engineering technology, which used in desulfuration strain's construction, reconstruction and other fields, was summarized emphatically. Its current research situation internal and overseas and the developing prospect were simply analyzed, and our research designs were submitted.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

Effect of nitrates on biotransformation of phosphogypsum and phenol uptake in cultures of autochthonous sludge microflora from petroleum refining wastewaters.

The effect of nitrates on the biotransformation of phosphogypsum at 30 degrees C in stationary cultures of anaerobic, heterogeneous microflora growing in medium with phenol (250-1,000 mg/L) as sole carbon source was studied. The microorganisms used in this study were isolated from sludge in biological petroleum-refining wastewater treatment plant. Phosphogypsum (a waste product in the chemical industry that contains approximately 95% CaSO4) was added in amount of 5 g/L, the source of nitrates was KNO3 in concentration equivalent to that of phenol (250-1,000 mg N-NO3/L). The presence of nitrates in heterogeneous cultures has an inhibitory effect on the process of phosphogypsum biotransformation and stimulates the uptake of phenol. We have found that in cultures in medium containing phenol, phosphogypsum and nitrates at least three physiological groups of microorganisms were present. These were phenol-biodegrading microorganisms not requiring an external electron acceptor, sulfate-reducing bacteria biodegrading phenol or intermediate products of its breakdown and denitrifying bacteria not utilising phenol as a carbon source. On solid medium these bacteria together formed heterogeneous single colonies. In spite of repeated attempts we were unable to isolate pure strains and the only result of these measures was loss of denitrification ability in medium with phenol.

Bacteria, Anaerobic↗

[Children's health in the petroleum region of the Republic of Tatarstan].

The paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the ecological situation of the most polluted town of the petroleum region. In-depth studies were made in 309 children aged 4-6 years from 4 children's preschool establishments. It was found that only 37.5% of the preschool children were apparently healthy, allergic diseases were detected in 27.2% of the children, cardiovascular ones were found in 18.8% of the examinees. Eighteen of the 309 children were classified as frequently ill. The physical development of children in the polluted area was less than that in the controls.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

[Sulfate reduction and the water-soluble organic substances in a flooded petroleum bed].

The paper presents the analytical data for the hydrochemical and microbiological composition of the water in a stratum undergoing changes as a result of artificial flooding. The highest accumulation of biogenic H2S and the carbon of dissolved organic substance was found in diluted bed waters with mineralization of 17.17 g/litre. The composition of the bitumen carbon of dissolved organic substances changed with dilution of the stratum brine. The data thus obtained suggest the existence of an indirect relationship; oxidized dissolved organic substance--the rate of sulphate reduction. The nature of organic substance appearing in the petroleum stratum is discussed.

Gram-Negative Chemolithotrophic Bacteria↗

[Evaluation of the influence of chemical factors of petroleum organic synthesis enterprises on the health status of their workers].

Recent studies conducted by a number of authors have given a good idea of the toxic effects of petroleum and its products on man. The combined effects of chemical and physical factors are known to potentiate their toxic effects and to cause an increase in morbidity among the workers of oil-refining plants. The paper substantiates the basic health indices to reduce the risk of industrial influences of the chemical components of emissions from an oil-producing plant on its workers' health. The workers were examined in accordance with the developed algorithm of hygienic evaluation under the influence of a combination of chemical factors, which makes it possible to define health indicators to optimize monitoring and to evaluate the efficiency of therapeutic-and-prophylactic programs. The results of the study suggest that in the workers, the elevated blood level of organic compounds exerting a polytropic toxic effect on the vital organs and systems is a risk factor for diseases and requires a systemic monitoring. Thus, program-specific planning of therapeutic and prophylactic measures implemented at an oil-producing plant should be accomplished by taking into account the optimum complex of diagnostic studies to evaluate the workers' health status.

Chemical Industry↗

Removal of detergents by activated petroleum coke from a clarified wastewater treated for reuse.

The removal of detergents from clarified wastewaters by activated petroleum coke (CAPA) was assessed. These substances, owing to their foamy properties, constitute a problem for ammonia removal by the air stripping process that could be installed in a wastewater treatment train to produce reclaimed water. CAPA was evaluated as a more economical alternative than a commercial activated carbon. Experimental work was divided in three stages: 1) production and characterisation of materials; 2) pretreatment of raw wastewater through the Fenton's reagent or coagulation-flocculation process with Al2(SO4)3; and 3) adsorption and bio-adsorption tests of clarified effluents. These tests were carried out in the laboratory in discontinuous and continuous reactors, the former by the "point-by-point" technique, with and without a previous fixing of bacteria, and the latter by the Rapid Small Scale Column Test. Detergents content, color, COD and UV254nm were measured in raw and treated wastewaters. Results show that the best pretreatment for the adsorption process was coagulation-flocculation rather than Fenton's method. Oxidation by this process decreased the adsorptive properties of detergents. Biomass fixed on the CAPA particles significantly increased the UV254nm and COD removal efficiencies (20% and 170% respectively). The breakthrough curves showed that CAPA could attain the expected detergents removal efficiency (66%) for the alum effluent.

Adsorption↗

Low salt petroleum produced water reuse: a farming alternative outside the food chain.

Oil and gas production gives rise to water production depending on the state of maturation of the Field. This means large volumes of water available. Today, this water is partly re-injected into the reservoir. Totalfinaelf's sustainable contribution to preserve water resources is to propose an alternative utilization: the reuse of produced waters from petroleum activities, outside the food chain. The aim of the first part of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing low-salt water (<20 g/l) cleaned of hydrocarbons, for agricultural or forest irrigation. Rudimentary technologies such as artificial wetlands were tested to remove hydrocarbon substances and preliminary tests were performed with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and hemp (Cannabis sativa). Among the species tested in real conditions (greenhouse), hemp was affected by saline water whereas the results obtained for cotton were representative of the average worldwide production. These results validate the reuse of low-salt produced water in climatic conditions with expected temperatures of up to 37 degrees C in summer and 25 degrees C in winter. Following these results, field pilots are planned. Further research is planned to focus, taking into account local needs and environmental and production constraints.

Agriculture↗

An integrated subsurface modeling and risk assessment approach for managing the petroleum-contaminated sites.

Soil and groundwater contamination can lead to a variety of impacts and risks to the communities. Identifications of management schemes with sound environmental and socio-economic efficiencies is desired. In fact, before any decisions regarding site remediation actions can be made, three major questions may have to be answered. They include "What happened underground, and what will happen in the future under the given remediation scenarios?," "Are there specific risks on the surrounding community?" and "What remediation alternatives are suitable for the site?" In this study, an integrated subsurface modeling and risk assessment method for petroleum-contaminated site management is proposed. It incorporates multi-phase flow multi-component transport modeling and ELCR-based human health risk assessment into a general framework. The proposed method is applied to a case study within a western Canada context for identifying effective management schemes with improved environmental and socio-economic efficiencies. Given conditions at the study site, six remediation alternatives based on combinations of several technologies are recommended, with the provision of analyses for equipment/manpower requirements, system designs, operations, efficiencies, and costs. These alternatives can be categorized into two groups: hybrid ex situ and in situ remediation approaches, and integrated in situ remediation approaches. This study is a new attempt that integrates issues of subsurface-contamination simulation, risk assessment, and site remediation for a real-world problem within a general research framework. The research outputs are directly useful for the industry to gain insight of the site and to make decisions of the relevant remediation actions.

Canada↗

Chemical fingerprinting of petroleum biomarkers using time warping and PCA.

A new method for chemical fingerprinting of petroleum biomakers is described. The method consists of GC-MS analysis, preprocessing of GC-MS chromatograms, and principal component analysis (PCA) of selected regions. The preprocessing consists of baseline removal by derivatization, normalization, and alignment using correlation optimized warping. The method was applied to chromatograms of m/z 217 (tricyclic and tetracyclic steranes) of oil spill samples and source oils. Oil spill samples collected from the coastal environment in the weeks after the Baltic Carrier oil spill were clustered in principal components 1 to 4 with oil samples from the tank of the Baltic Carrier (source oil). The discriminative power of PCA was enhanced by deselecting the most uncertain variables or scaling them according to their uncertainty, using a weighted least squares criterion. The four principal components were interpreted as follows: boiling point range (PC1), clay content (PC2), carbon number distribution of sterols in the source rock (PC3), and thermal maturity of the oil (PC4). In summary, the method allows for analyses of chromatograms using a fast and objective procedure and with more comprehensive data usage compared to other fingerprinting methods.

Accidents↗

[Analysis of saturated paraffins in petroleum by fast gas chromatography].

A fast capillary gas chromatographic method for the analysis of saturated paraffin in crude oil and rock extracts is described. By using a 20 m narrow bore capillary column, the analytical time has been shortened to 15 min, 5 times faster in comparison with 80 to 90 min by conventional capillary columns, which resulted in higher throughput, higher efficiency and better separation. The fast method is fully in compliance with the Petroleum Industrial Standard--SY/T5120-1997 and paves the way for the fast analysis of paraffin isomers, such as steroidal paraffin and terpane by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and that of aromatics by gas chromatography.

Chromatography, Gas↗

Microbial changes in rhizospheric soils contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons after bioremediation.

Effects of bioremediation on microbial communities in soils contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons are a scientific problem to be solved. Changes in dominate microbial species and the total amount of microorganisms including bacteria and fungi in rhizospheric soils after bioremediation were thus evaluated using field bioremediation experiments. The results showed that there were changed dominant microorganisms including 11 bacterial strains which are mostly Gram positive bacteria and 6 fungal species which were identified. The total amount of microorganisms including bacteria and fungi increased after bioremediation of microbial agents combined with planting maize. On the contrary, fungi in rhizospheric soils were inhibited by adding microbial agents combined with planting soybean.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

[The innate ability of Rhodococcus sp. SDUZAWQ to tolerate sulfur in petroleum].

Removal of sulfur from petroleum can be accomplished by various means. One method is to use microorganisms, such as bacteria. In the present study, strain Rhodococcus sp. SDUZAWQ was employed to test the effects of various concentrations of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and sulfate, had on this removal process. Desulfurization was accomplished, using Basal Salts Medium (BSM), supplemented with 0.2mmol/L DBT and different concentrations of Na2SO4. Growth of SDUZAWQ was pronounced, even when the concentration of DBT was increased to 6mmol/L. Furthermore, it should be noted that the end product of DBT desulfurization, 2 hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP), was detected as well. This finding was significant because it demonstrated the bacteria' s ability to withstand high concentrations of organosulfur. Dibenzothiophene was utilized when both DBT and Na2SO4 were present in the culture medium. Additionally, 2-HBP was produced. These data are in contrast to previous studies that indicated that DBT could not be metabolized by Rhodococcus sp. in the presence of sulfate. Finally, cloning and sequencing of the gene cluster dszABC, its upstream regulatory sequence and dszD, demonstrated that they share 99%, 100% and 100% with those of R. erythropolis IGTS8, respectively.

Biphenyl Compounds↗

Impact of refined petroleum spills on water quality, macro-invertebrate and microbial communities of a tropical aquatic environment.

Water quality characteristics, benthic macro-invertebrates and microbial communities of three first order streams in South West Nigeria were investigated to assess the effects of refined petroleum five months after spillage. All physical and chemical conditions except temperature and pH were significantly different (P<0.01) at the upstream control stations and impacted stations reflecting the perturbational stress. The benthic macro-invertebrate fauna were dominated by arthropods, but the faunal spectrum was dissimilar at all the stations studied. Sampling stations at the epicentre of the spill showed considerable reduction in faunal compositions and relative abundance. Generally, the microbial density and diversity were highest in both soil and water samples from impacted sites than in control sites. There was a significantly higher proportion (P < 0.05) of hydrocarbon utilizers in soil than in water samples in all stations except in samples from stations (P<0.05).

Animals↗

Petroleum asphaltenes: generated problematic and possible biodegradation mechanisms.

Petroleum asphaltenes are hydrocarbons that present an extremely complex molecular structure. They are conformed by different proportions of nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen. These compounds cause diverse problems like the blockage of crude oil extraction and transport pipes, the reduction of their economic use and the pollution of ecosystems. Biodegradation of asphaltenes is an important process that can eliminate these compounds and reduce the problems they cause. However, it is a process that occurs naturally in very reduced proportions. The purpose of this revision is to show the chemical structure of these compounds, the problems they cause and to represent their possible biodegradation mechanisms, based on the processes known for other hydrocarbons of complex structure. Elimination of the micelar structure, through the application of non-polar solvents, and fragmentation of the asphaltenes through photooxidation are the initial processes necessary to be able to degrade these compounds. The produced structures, such as the heteropolyaromatic and aromatic, lineal and ramified hydrocarbons, could be degraded in this order through biochemical reactions, such as omega oxidations, beta oxidations and aromatic oxidations respectively. These processes are distributed in an important variety of microorganisms. The elimination period's length can vary from one week, for the simplest structures, to 990 days for those with several condensed aromatic rings.

Bacteria↗

[Soil-based eco-toxicity of petroleum to terrestrial higher plant after phytoremediation].

Petroleum-contaminated soil after five-year phytoremediation was taken as tested soil initially spiked with a serial diesel concentration of 5 000, 15 000 and 30 000 mg/kg (dry weight). Residual concentrations of mineral oil by chemical analysis of gravimetry, as well as the soil-based eco-toxicity to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), the terrestrial higher plant by several ecotoxicological bioassays including seed germination and root elongation test, early seedling growth test, contents of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD, and peroxidase, POD), and lipid peroxide (malondialdehyde, MDA content in wheat seedling leaves, etc. were evaluated. Results showed that mineral oil was well removed in each treatment by chemical analysis, with residual concentrations ranging from 199 to 877 mg/kg (dry weight) and with total removal rates between 90.1% and 97.2%. The evaluating results by eco-toxicological assays differed to some extent from those by chemical analysis, meanwhile, eco-toxicity of each treatment differed depending on endpoints by different bioassays. Among the ecotoxicological indexes, root length (48 h), root fresh weight (7 d), contents of P450, activities of SOD, and contents of MDA, etc. exhibited better indication to the soil toxicity. The general evaluation by combining the two analyses chemical and eco-toxicological indicated that the ecological risk was higher in most intermediately- and heavily-contaminated treatments (initially spiked with diesel concentration of 15,000 mg/kg and 30,000 mg/kg).

Ecology↗

Morbidity patterns among employees at a petroleum refinery.

This study examined the morbidity experience of a prospective cohort of 2132 male employees who worked at a petroleum refinery from 1981 through 1988. The morbidity data included all illness-absence episodes in excess of 5 days during the study period. Standardized morbidity ratios (SMRs) of disease prevalence were calculated using data from all manufacturing employees of the Shell Oil Company as an internal comparison group. As such, there is no potential bias associated with the "healthy worker effect" in this type of study design. Morbidity for all causes combined was virtually the same as that for the comparison group with 2,311 observed and 2,318 expected disease prevalence events. However, there were statistically increased prevalence of musculoskeletal system disorders (SMR = 136) and injuries (SMR = 125) among staff employees and skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders (SMR = 138) among production employees. A review of the original morbidity reports for these skin conditions revealed that none were due to exposure to chemical products or solvents. The SMR for neoplasms of the lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue among production employees was slightly elevated but was based on only three cases (2.4 expected). Of the three cases, none was due to leukemia.

Adult↗

[Petroleum burns--toxic contact dermatitis].

A great proportion of older housing facilities in Copenhagen are occupied by elderly individuals whose flats are heated by petroleum stoves. These individuals have frequently reduced mobility and may risk falling while filling their stoves. They may thus be exposed to the effect of the toxic fluid on the skin. The clinical pictures in two cases are described.

Aged↗