{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10259/9505", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-08-25T16:21:58Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-03-22", "title": "Bioaugmentation and vermicompost facilitated the hydrocarbon bioremediation: scaling up from lab to field for petroleum-contaminated soils", "description": "Abstract

The biodegradation of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) in soil is very challenging due to the complex recalcitrant nature of hydrocarbon, hydrophobicity, indigenous microbial adaptation and competition, and harsh environmental conditions. This work further confirmed that limited natural attenuation of petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) (15% removal) necessitates efficient bioremediation strategies. Hence, a scaling-up experiment for testing and optimizing the use of biopiles for bioremediation of TPH polluted soils was conducted with three 500-kg pilots of polluted soil, and respective treatments were implemented: including control soil (CT), bioaugmentation and vermicompost treatment (BAVC), and a combined application of BAVC along with bioelectrochemical snorkels (BESBAVC), all maintained at 40% field capacity. This study identified that at pilot scale level, a successful application of BAVC treatment can achieve 90.3% TPH removal after 90 days. BAVC\uffe2\uff80\uff99s effectiveness stemmed from synergistic mechanisms. Introduced microbial consortia were capable of TPH degradation, while vermicompost provided essential nutrients, enhanced aeration, and, potentially, acted as a biosorbent. Hence, it can be concluded that the combined application of BAVC significantly enhances TPH removal compared to natural attenuation. While the combined application of a bioelectrochemical snorkel (BES) with BAVC also showed a significant TPH removal, it did not differ statistically from the individual application of BAVC, under applied conditions. Further research is needed to optimize BES integration with BAVC for broader applicability. This study demonstrates BAVC as a scalable and mechanistically sound approach for TPH bioremediation in soil.The present study reports findings related to the treatment of polluted groundwater using macrophyte-assisted phytoremediation. The potential of three macrophyte species (Phragmites australis, Scirpus holoschoenus, and Typha angustifolia) to tolerate exposure to multi-metal(loid) polluted groundwater was first evaluated in mesocosms for 7- and 14-day batch testing. In the 7-day batch test, the polluted water was completely replaced\uffc2\uffa0and renewed after 7\uffc2\uffa0days, while for\uffc2\uffa014\uffc2\uffa0days exposure, the same polluted water, added in the first week, was maintained. The initial biochemical screening\uffc2\uffa0results of macrophytes indicated that the selected plants were more tolerant to the provided conditions with 14\uffc2\uffa0days of exposure. Based on these findings, the plants were exposed to HRT regimes of 15 and 30\uffc2\uffa0days. The results showed that P. australis and S. holoschoenus performed better than T. angustifolia, in terms of metal(loid) accumulation and removal, biomass production, and toxicity reduction. In addition, the translocation and compartmentalization of metal(loid)s were dose-dependent. At the 30-day loading rate (higher HRT), below-ground phytostabilization was greater than phytoaccumulation, whereas at the 15-day loading rate (lower HRT), below- and above-ground phytoaccumulation was the dominant metal(loid) removal mechanism. However, higher levels of toxicity were noted in the water at the 15-day loading rate. Overall, this\uffc2\uffa0study provides valuable insights for macrophyte-assisted phytoremediation of polluted (ground)water streams that can help to improve the design and implementation of phytoremediation systems.