Remediation of Petroleum-Contaminated Soils with Microbial and Microbial Combined Methods: Advances, Mechanisms, and Challenges

Xin Sui, Xuemei Wang, Yuhuan Li and Hongbing Ji
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Xin Sui: Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-Oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollution, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Xuemei Wang: Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-Oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollution, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Yuhuan Li: Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-Oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollution, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Hongbing Ji: Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-Oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollution, School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-26

Abstract: The petroleum industry’s development has been supported by the demand for petroleum and its by-products. During extraction and transportation, however, oil will leak into the soil, destroying the structure and quality of the soil and even harming the health of plants and humans. Scientists are researching and developing remediation techniques to repair and re-control the afflicted environment due to the health risks and social implications of petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. Remediation of soil contamination produced by petroleum hydrocarbons, on the other hand, is a difficult and time-consuming job. Microbial remediation is a focus for soil remediation because of its convenience of use, lack of secondary contamination, and low cost. This review lists the types and capacities of microorganisms that have been investigated to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons. However, investigations have revealed that a single microbial remediation faces difficulties, such as inconsistent remediation effects and substantial environmental consequences. It is necessary to understand the composition and source of pollutants, the metabolic genes and pathways of microbial degradation of petroleum pollutants, and the internal and external aspects that influence remediation in order to select the optimal remediation treatment strategy. This review compares the degradation abilities of microbial–physical, chemical, and other combination remediation methods, and highlights the degradation capabilities and processes of the greatest microbe-biochar, microbe–nutrition, and microbe–plant technologies. This helps in evaluating and forecasting the chemical behavior of contaminants with both short- and long-term consequences. Although there are integrated remediation strategies for the removal of petroleum hydrocarbons, practical remediation remains difficult. The sources and quantities of petroleum pollutants, as well as their impacts on soil, plants, and humans, are discussed in this article. Following that, the focus shifted to the microbiological technique of degrading petroleum pollutants and the mechanism of the combined microbial method. Finally, the limitations of existing integrated microbiological techniques are highlighted.

Keywords: petroleum contaminated soil; composition of petroleum; harm of petroleum; microbial remediation; combined microbial methods; phytoremediation; biochar (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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