Title: Analysis of oil-contaminated soil cleaning methods in emergencies at oil and gas facilities and in transport
Abstract: Objective: Environment contamination with oil and concomitant contaminants is a burning environmental issue in many parts of Russia. Oil contamination has an effect on the overall set of soil morphological, physical, physicochemical and biological characteristics that govern its fertile and ecological functions. To reach a higher environmental safety level in the Russian oil and gas industry and transport, a multiple factor assessment of the existing oil-contaminated soil cleaning methods has been performed. Methods: Comparison of the existing oil-contaminated soil cleaning methods: mechanical, physicochemical and biological ones. Based on the systems analysis methods, phytoremediation is found to have a high potential for cleaning soils and groundwater contaminated with hydrocarbons as the above method is as a rule cheaper than any alternative soil cleaning methods. Plants do not deteriorate soil or add any secondary pollution as compared with conventional methods. In addition, the public has a positive attitude towards phytoremediation regarding it as an eco-friendly approach to cleaning contaminated soils. Results: Basic physiological and biochemical processes in plants causing a lower hydrocarbon concentration in soil are discussed. Criteria for selection of plants for phytoremediation are identified. The primary limitations on use of phytoremediation include a long soil remediation period, a significant impact of local climatic and hydrological conditions on plant growth, a plant exposure area is limited to less than 0.9 m from the soil surface (root layer), by an impossibility of growing plants in heavily contaminated soils, and also probable ingress of contaminants into food chains. It is shown that large-scale implementation of the method is held back as the method mechanisms are not sufficiently investigated. Practical importance: Phytoremediation is found to have a high potential for cleaning oil-contaminated soils and groundwater.
Publication Year: 2017
Publication Date: 2017-07-17
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 2
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