Showing papers on "Total petroleum hydrocarbon published in 1993"

Bioremediation of experimental petroleum spills on mineral soils in the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica

Abstract: The effect of nutrient and water enhancement on the biodegradation of petroleum was tested in Antarctic mineral soils. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were applied in solution, with or without gum xanthan or plastic covers, to sites artificially contaminated with distillate. The effectiveness of these procedures was assessed by measuring changes in total petroleum hydrocarbons; heptadecane/pristane and octadecane/phytane ratios; in concentrations of major hydrocarbon components and in microbial numbers and activity.

Cleanup standards for petroleum hydrocarbons. Part 1. Review of methods and recent developments

Abstract: Many states across the US use the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) measurement as a regulatory tool for setting cleanup standards for underground storage tank sites and other petroleum‐related sites requiring cleanup In Part I of this article, alternative techniques for developing site‐specific cleanup standards for petroleum hydrocarbons are reviewed, including the use of chemical fingerprinting, constituent analysis, and risk assessment methods that address hydrocarbons found in the environment New developments in standard setting for petroleum hydrocarbons are described, including risk‐based standards for hydrocarbon mixtures and ecological risk‐based approaches In Part 2 of this article, the cost‐effectiveness and accuracy of the most commonly used of these approaches will be evaluated by comparing a generic TPH cleanup standards approach with site‐specific cleanup standards approaches for two actual sites in Washington State, a neighborhood gas station and a former bulk fuel storage fa

Interlaboratory evaluation of an off-line supercritical fluid extraction/infrared spectrometric method for determination of petroleum hydrocarbons in solid matrixes.

Abstract: A collaborative study was conducted, with 14 laboratories participating, to determine the method accuracy and precision of the proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Methods 3560 and 8440. These methods involve the extraction of petroleum hydrocarbons from solid matrixes with supercritical carbon dioxide at 340 atm and 80 degrees C for 30 min (dynamic), collection of the extracted materials in tetrachloroethene (Method 3560), and analysis of the extracts by infrared (IR) spectrometry (Method 8440). The study design was based on the AOAC blind replicate design with balanced replicates. The study samples consisted of 4 solid matrixes that had petroleum hydrocarbon contents ranging from 614 to 32,600 mg/kg. Each of the 4 matrixes was extracted in triplicate, and the extracts were analyzed with 2 different IR spectrometers. In addition, each of the participating laboratories extracted a sample of unspiked clay soil, the same clay soil spiked with corn oil and reference oil at 1000 mg/kg each, and the same clay soil wetted to 30% water content and spiked with motor oil at 10,000 mg/kg (the latter 3 samples were extracted only once). Results indicated that the overall method accuracy for concentrations ranging from 614 to 32,600 mg/kg was 82.9%; the mean recoveries of petroleum hydrocarbons for each of the 4 solid matrixes ranged from 77.9 to 107% for analyses performed with the Perkin-Elmer Fourier transform IR spectrometer and from 75.9 to 101% for analyses performed with the Buck-Scientific IR spectrometer; the differences between the 2 instruments on a sample-by-sample basis were less than 17% for the total petroleum hydrocarbon determinations. The interlaboratory method precisions (RSDR) appeared to be matrix-dependent and ranged from 17.3 to 45.4% for analyses performed with the Perkin-Elmer Fourier transform IR spectrometer and from 16.7 to 47.9% for the Buck-Scientific IR spectrometer. The intralaboratory method precisions (RSDr) appeared to be less matrix-dependent and ranged from 11.5 to 17.0% for analyses performed with the Perkin-Elmer FTIR spectrometer and from 11.1 to 18.2% for the Buck-Scientific IR spectrometer. Method accuracy and precision data are also presented for the 5 laboratories that used Isco supercritical fluid extraction systems and for the 7 laboratories that used vessels with volumes of 3.5 mL or less with different supercritical fluid extraction systems.

Alternative method of groundwater sparging for petroleum hydrocarbon remediation

Abstract: An alternative method of in-situ groundwater sparging, termed density-driven convection (patent pending), is presented. This method has been successfully used to remediate eight underground storage tank releases involving a wide distillation range of petroleum hydrocarbons (gasoline to waste oil) and in a variety of site soils (clay to sandy gravel). Application of the density-driven convection method is detailed in a case study. The system, installed to remediate a gasoline and diesel release from an underground storage tank, was operated and monitored for a period of one year. Monitoring data indicate reductions in total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations in groundwater and in soil. Concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and naphthalene) also decreased in both media. Stimulation of natural biodegradation, the primary mechanism of removal, occurred rapidly. Natural biological activity gradually declined over the subsequent 150 days. After one year of operation, the sparging system has achieved or is rapidly approaching the regulatory cleanup goals for both soil and groundwater, including reduction of dissolved concentrations below maximum contaminant levels established under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Evaluation of the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Standard for Cleanup of Petroleum Contaminated Sites

Abstract: : This study evaluated the TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbon) cleanup standard for petroleum contaminated soils (PCS). A survey of 13 state regulators was performed to characterize current standards and regulatory viewpoints on the use of a TPH versus a BTEX cleanup standard. The regulatory community considers the BTEX constituents the greatest threat to groundwater, yet expressed concern that the use of a compound specific standard, without an accompanying analysis for TPH, might result in residual soil contamination that may present risk. This study also evaluated the ratio of BTEX TPH in soil over time. Based on JP-4 contaminated site soil data, this study demonstrated that the ratio of BTEX to TPH declines with time. The results indicate that the constant ratio of BTEX to TPH assumed by the California LUFT manual and Stokman and Dime's research is not valid for soils contaminated with JP-4. Lastly, this research identifies the cost savings potential that would result if a BTEX based standard, versus a TPH standard, were required at all Air Force sites. The research shows that only 13% of sites which would require cleanup under a TPH standard would require cleanup under a BTEX based standard. Soil cleanup standards, Petroleum hydrocarbons, Total petroleum hydrocarbons, TPH, Bezene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Ethyl-benzene, Xylene, BTEX, Petroleum contamination, JP-4.

Biodegradation Studies of Saudi ARabian Crude Oil

Abstract: A bench-scale aerobic microbial degradation study of soil contaminated with Saudi Arabian crude oil was conducted. The effects of nutrient additions and seeding with naturally-occurring microorganisms were evaluated, through comparison of results form a control reactor, a second reactor with nutrients, and a third reactor with nutrients and seed microorganisms. A separate weathering experiment was conducted under identical environmental conditions for evaluation of abiotic weathering losses of crude oil. The total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) content of soil contaminated with crude oil was measured as a function of time. During the five-week evaluation period, a TPH reduction of 60 to 70% was observed for the nutrient evaluation. Based on the weathering tests, approximately 17% of the TPH loss was attributed to abiotic losses. For the specific environmental conditions, crude oil, seawater, and soil evaluated, the addition of nutrients stimulated the biodegradation of crude oil over the test period. Due to the availability of indigenous bacteria, seeding with naturally-occurring bacteria did not improve the rate of TPH loss.

Cleanup standards for petroleum hydrocarbons. part 2. Case study comparisons of site‐specific cleanup standards with generic TPH standards

Abstract: Many states across the U.S. use the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) measurement as a regulatory tool for setting cleanup standards for underground storage tank sites and other petroleum‐related sites requiring cleanup. In Part 1 of this article (Michelsen and Petito Boyce, J. Soil Contam., 2(2): 109–124), alternative techniques and new methods for developing site‐specific cleanup standards for petroleum hydrocarbons were reviewed, including the use of chemical fingerprinting, constituent analysis, and human health and ecological risk assessment methods. In Part 2 of this article, the cost effectiveness and accuracy of these approaches are evaluated by comparing a generic TPH cleanup standards approach with site‐specific cleanup standards approaches for two actual sites in Washington State, a neighborhood gas station and a former bulk fuel storage facility. Based on these case studies, as well as consideration of other available approaches discussed in Part 1 of this article, recommendations are...

Evaluation of the total petroleum hydrocarbon standard for cleanup of petroleum contaminated sites. Master's thesis

Abstract: This study evaluated the TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbon) cleanup standard for petroleum contaminated soils (PCS). A survey of 13 state regulators was performed to characterize current standards and regulatory viewpoints on the use of a TPH versus a BTEX cleanup standard. The regulatory community considers the BTEX constituents the greatest threat to groundwater, yet expressed concern that the use of a compound specific standard, without an accompanying analysis for TPH, might result in residual soil contamination that may present risk. This study also evaluated the ratio of BTEX TPH in soil over time. Based on JP-4 contaminated site soil data, this study demonstrated that the ratio of BTEX to TPH declines with time. The results indicate that the constant ratio of BTEX to TPH assumed by the California LUFT manual and Stokman and Dime's research is not valid for soils contaminated with JP-4. Lastly, this research identifies the cost savings potential that would result if a BTEX based standard, versus a TPH standard, were required at all Air Force sites. The research shows that only 13% of sites which would require cleanup under a TPH standard would require cleanup under a BTEX based standard. Soil cleanup standards, Petroleum hydrocarbons, Totalmore » petroleum hydrocarbons, TPH, Bezene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Ethyl-benzene, Xylene, BTEX, Petroleum contamination, JP-4.« less

Soil Bio Remediation in Practice: Problems and Results

Abstract: To demonstrate the actual standard of large scale remediation techniques two examples of biological soil cleanup are described. In the first case 38,000 tons of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were treated on—site on degradation heaps in tents. The target values of 300 mg/kg (TPH) and 5 mg/kg (PAH) were reached after about 1 year of treatment. The success of remediation was also shown by the results of ecotoxicological improvement with the microtox assay and the cress test. The second example describes the combination of soil, water and air treatment of a dump site with volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons (VCH). Results of laboratory experiments showed that total degradation of Perchloroethylene, Trichloroethy-lene and Dichloromethane (main contaminants) is possible by combining anaerobic and aerobic processes and adding suitable cosubstrates. Because of the high volatility, all units including excavation, soil processing, water treatment and air cleanup were totally closed so that mass flows can be controlled and bilanced.