RESUMO
Monitored natural recovery (MNR) is an in situ technique of conventional remediation for the treatment of contaminated sediments that relies on natural processes to reduce the bioavailability or toxicity of contaminants. Metabarcoding and bioinformatics approaches to infer functional prediction were applied in bottom sediments of a tributary drainage channel of Río de La Plata estuary, in order to assess the biological contribution to MNR. Hydrocarbon concentration in water samples and surface sediments was below the detection limit. Surface sediments were represented with high available phosphorous, alkaline pH, and the bacterial classes Anaerolineae, Planctomycetia, and Deltaproteobacteria. The functional prediction in surface sediments showed an increase of metabolic activity, carbon fixation, methanogenesis, and synergistic relationships between Archaeas, Syntrophobacterales, and Desulfobacterales. The prediction in non-surface sediments suggested the capacity to respond to different kinds of environmental stresses (oxidative, osmotic, heat, acid pH, and heavy metals), predicted mostly in Lactobacillales order, and the capacity of Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Actinomyces classes to degrade xenobiotic compounds. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) suggests that depth, phosphate content, redox potential, and pH were the variables that structured the bacterial community and not the hydrocarbons. The characterization of sediments by metabarcoding and functional prediction approaches, allowed to assess how the microbial activity would contribute to the recovery of the site.
RESUMO
Gasohol blend spills with variable ethanol content exert different electron acceptor demands in groundwater and the distinct dynamics undergone by these blends underscores the need for field-based information to aid decision-making on suitable remediation technologies for each gasohol blend spill. In this study, a comparison of two gasohol releases (E10 (10:90 ethanol and gasoline, v/v) and E25 (25:75 ethanol and gasoline, v/v) under monitored natural attenuation (MNA) and nitrate biostimulation, respectively) was conducted to assess the most effective remediation strategy for each gasohol release. Microbial communities were assessed to support geochemical data as well as to enable the characterization of important population shifts that evolve during biodegradation processes in E25 and E10 field experiments. Results revealed that natural attenuation processes sufficiently supported ethanol and BTEX compounds biodegradation in E10 release, due to the lower biochemical oxygen demand they exert relative to E25 blend. In E25 release, nitrate reduction was largely responsible for BTEX and ethanol biodegradation, as intended. First-order decay constants demonstrated that ethanol degradation rates were similar (pâ¯<â¯0.05) for both remediation technologies (2.05⯱â¯0.15 and 2.22⯱â¯0.23, for E25 and E10, respectively) whilst BTEX compounds exhibited different degradation rates (pâ¯>â¯0.05) that were higher for the experiment under MNA (0.33⯱â¯0.06 and 0.43⯱â¯0.03, for E25 and E10, respectively). Therefore, ethanol content in different gasohol blends can influence the decision-making on the most suitable remediation technology, as MNA processes can be applied for the remediation of gasohol blends with lower ethanol content (i.e., 10% v/v), once the aquifer geochemical conditions provide a sufficient electron acceptor pool. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first field study to monitor two long-term gasohol releases over various time scales in order to assess feasible remediation technologies for each scenario.
Assuntos
Biodegradação Ambiental , Etanol/análise , Gasolina , Água Subterrânea , NitratosRESUMO
A case study is presented on waste management practices implemented after a residual fuel oil spill from a steam-generating boiler in an industrial area, and on the technical feasibility of monitored natural attenuation as a treatment option for a recently contaminated tropical soil. One day after contamination, surface soil total petroleum hydrocarbons and phenanthrene concentrations varied from 3.1 to 7.9 g kg(-1) and 149 to 287 µg kg(-1), respectively. Petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations decayed along the monitored time and after 90 days of processes the soil was considered rehabilitated for future industrial use.
Assuntos
Recuperação e Remediação Ambiental/métodos , Poluição por Petróleo/análise , Gerenciamento de Resíduos/métodos , Biodegradação Ambiental , Brasil , Monitoramento Ambiental , Hidrocarbonetos/análise , Petróleo/análise , Fenantrenos/análise , Poluentes do Solo/análise , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Nesse estudo, foram avaliados os resultados de um experimento de derramamento controlado de gasolina brasileira em água subterrânea durante 6,5 anos de monitoramento. A exaustão do etanol, aos 32 meses de monitoramento, e a significativa redução de mais de 90 por cento da massa máxima dos compostos BTEX dissolvidos no meio, aos 79 meses, associadas ao uso dos receptores de elétrons e acúmulo de seus subprodutos metabólicos, demonstraram a eficácia da atenuação natural monitorada para contaminações de águas subterrâneas sem riscos imediatos a receptores críticos. Constatou-se ainda que a biodegradação do etanol permitiu a formação de uma biobarreira natural que, após a sua completa degradação, acelerou a taxa de biodegradação dos BTEX e impediu o avanço da pluma destes contaminantes.
In this study, results of 6.5 years of a controlled release experiment with Brazilian gasoline in groundwater were evaluated. Ethanol exhaustion after 32 months and the significant dissolved BTEX mass reduction of more than 90 percent after 79 months, associated with the electron acceptors use and their metabolic byproducts accumulation, demonstrated the efficiency of monitored natural attenuation for groundwater contamination without immediate risk to receptors. Moreover, ethanol degradation provided a natural biobarrier formation that increased BTEX biodegradation rate and prevented the BTEX plume expansion.