EFFECT OF A NATURAL BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCT AND BACTERIAL INOCULUM IN A CRUDE OIL POLLUTED SOIL

Petroleum hydrocarbons pollution of soils has become a big problem with the development of petrochemical industry and installation of numerous petrol stations and underground pipes. Physical, chemical and biological technologies have been developed to remove petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants from soils and restore environmental quality. However, costs are high, and many techniques are difficult to use for in-situ remediation. It still remains necessary to study the natural attenuation of hydrocarbons in soil and to develop simple cost-effective techniques for enhanced remediation. This paper introduces some research results on natural attenuation and enhanced bioremediation of a polluted soil with a residual petroleum content of 5% and 10% dry soil weight.