Affiliations 

  • 1 Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Division of Urban Infrastructural Engineering, Mien Trung University of Civil Engineering, Phu Yen 56000, Vietnam
  • 2 Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
  • 3 Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
  • 4 Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, School of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
  • 5 Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, P.O. Box 02, Belihuloya 70140, Sri Lanka
  • 6 Ecosphere Resilience Research Centre, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda 10250, Sri Lanka
  • 7 University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water, and Waste Management, Laboratory of Soil, and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany; Department of Environment, Energy and Geoinformatics, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Guangjin-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
  • 8 Pyrolysis Technology Research Group, Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP) & Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development (Bio-D Tropika), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
  • 9 Biochar Engineering Technology Research Center of Guangdong Province, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
  • 10 Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
  • 11 Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia. Electronic address: Nanthi.Bolan@newcastle.edu.au
J Hazard Mater, 2021 08 15;416:125702.
PMID: 33866291 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125702

Abstract

The term "Total petroleum hydrocarbons" (TPH) is used to describe a complex mixture of petroleum-based hydrocarbons primarily derived from crude oil. Those compounds are considered as persistent organic pollutants in the terrestrial environment. A wide array of organic amendments is increasingly used for the remediation of TPH-contaminated soils. Organic amendments not only supply a source of carbon and nutrients but also add exogenous beneficial microorganisms to enhance the TPH degradation rate, thereby improving the soil health. Two fundamental approaches can be contemplated within the context of remediation of TPH-contaminated soils using organic amendments: (i) enhanced TPH sorption to the exogenous organic matter (immobilization) as it reduces the bioavailability of the contaminants, and (ii) increasing the solubility of the contaminants by supplying desorbing agents (mobilization) for enhancing the subsequent biodegradation. Net immobilization and mobilization of TPH have both been observed following the application of organic amendments to contaminated soils. This review examines the mechanisms for the enhanced remediation of TPH-contaminated soils by organic amendments and discusses the influencing factors in relation to sequestration, bioavailability, and subsequent biodegradation of TPH in soils. The uncertainty of mechanisms for various organic amendments in TPH remediation processes remains a critical area of future research.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.