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Natural Attenuation and Biosurfactant-Stimulated Bioremediation of Estuarine Sediments Contaminated with Diesel Oil

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Abstract

We evaluated the bioremediation, by natural attenuation (NA) and by natural attenuation stimulated (SNA) using a rhamnolipid biosurfactant, of estuarine sediments contaminated with diesel oil. Sediment samples (30 cm) were put into 35 cm glass columns, and the concentrations of the 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) prioritized by the US Environmental Protection Agency were monitored for 111 days. Naphthalene percolated through the columns more than the other PAHs, and, in general, the concentrations of the lower molecular weight PAHs, consisting of two and three aromatic rings, changed during the first 45 days of treatment, whereas the concentrations of the higher molecular weight PAHs, consisting of four, five, and six rings, were more stable. The higher molecular weight PAHs became more available after 45 days, in the deeper parts of the columns (20–30 cm). Evidence of degradation was observed only for some compounds, such as pyrene, with a total removal efficiency of 82 and 78 % in the NA and SNA treatments, respectively, but without significant difference. In the case of total PAH removal, the efficiencies were significantly different of 82 and 67 %, respectively.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support from a number of Brazilian agencies and institutions, including FINEP, CNPq, CAPES, FACEPE, PETROBRAS, and SUAPE, is greatly appreciated. The authors thank their colleagues in the laboratories LSA-UFPE, LQI-UFPE, LEPETRO-UFBA, and LMA-CTG-SENAI/RN for their help with the analyses and field work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Engenharia Civil, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Av. Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n. CEP, 50740-530, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Débora M. Bayer, Lourdinha Florencio & Mario T. Kato

  2. Universidade Federal do Semi-Árido, Angicos, RN, Brazil

    Alessandra C. O. Chagas-Spinelli

  3. Centro Acadêmico do Agreste, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Caruaru, PE, Brazil

    Sávia Gavazza

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  1. Débora M. Bayer
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  2. Alessandra C. O. Chagas-Spinelli
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  3. Sávia Gavazza
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  4. Lourdinha Florencio
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  5. Mario T. Kato
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Correspondence to Mario T. Kato.

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Bayer, D.M., Chagas-Spinelli, A.C.O., Gavazza, S. et al. Natural Attenuation and Biosurfactant-Stimulated Bioremediation of Estuarine Sediments Contaminated with Diesel Oil. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 171, 173–188 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-013-0358-0

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