Award details

Optimising biopile processes for weathered hydrocarbons within a risk management framework ('PROMISE')

Reference	BB/B512432/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Simon Pollard
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Cranfield University
Department	Sch of Industrial and Manufacturing Scie
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	209,905
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/10/2004
End date	29/02/2008
Duration	41 months

Abstract

The management of environmental risk at contaminated sites is contingent on understanding the characteristics of the source, the existence and relative availability of pathways to the receptor(s) and the relative vulnerabilities of receptors where harm may be manifest. Many hydrocarbon-contaminated sites (former refineries, coal carbonisation plants, and integrated steelworks) contain (i) oils that are weathered because the source term has aged since release; (ii) heavy fuel oil residues such as nos 4, 5 and 6 fuel oil used in commercial boilers or heavy diesel engines; and/or (iii) viscous tars and solid bituminous process residues that are difficult to treat biologically. In contrast to lighter gasoline (petrol), diesel and aviation fuels, the literature on heavy oil wastes is not extensive. Yet understanding the physicochemical and toxicological characteristics of contaminants in these source terms is critical because these factors drive the design of analytical strategies, our understanding of environmental exposures and the selection of remediation technologies. For weathered hydrocarbon wastes, risk management decisions are complicated by the gross complexity of the source term, the effects of weathering on the bioavailability of risk critical contaminants and the variable performance of remedial technologies under authentic site conditions. Further, the underpinning scientific components of process control, waste diagnostics, environmental fate modelling and risk assessment have yet to be fully integrated for weathered oils to allow biopiling projects to be verified with improved confidence. This synthesis is the central aim of the proposed research. In drawing together these components, we will also develop new diagnostic (chemical and toxicological) strategies, provide novel insights into the fate of weathered oils in the soil environment, align diagnostic and risk assessment methodologies and apply these to the optimisation of biopiling technology by reference to risk reduction at an authentic site. The result will be improved stakeholder confidence in biopiling technology to reduce the risks from these problematical, ubiquitous wastes.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Engineering & Biological Systems (EBS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	LINK: Bioremediation (BRM) [2002-2004]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

Associated awards:

BB/B512616/1 Optimising biopile processes for weathered hydrocarbons within a risk management framework ('PROMISE')

BB/B512624/1 Optimising biopile processes for weathered hydrocarbons within a risk management framework ('PROMISE')

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