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Remediation of Brine Spills with Hay

EPA Grant Number: R827015C016
Subproject: this is subproject number 016 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R827015
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).

Center: IPEC University of Tulsa (TU)
Center Director: Sublette, Kerry L.
Title: Remediation of Brine Spills with Hay
Investigators: Ford, Laura P. , Harris, Thomas M. , Sublette, Kerry L.
Institution: University of Tulsa
EPA Project Officer: Krishnan, Bala S.
Project Period: May 30, 2001 through May 30, 2002 (Extended to August 15, 2002)
RFA: Integrated Petroleum Environmental Consortium (IPEC) (1999)
Research Category: Targeted Research , Hazardous Waste/Remediation

Description:

Objective:

In this project we will quantify the extent of desalination caused by hay added to brine-contaminated sites. Two recent spill sites will be broken into plots that will receive tilling, tilling + hay, tilling + fertilizer, or tilling + hay + fertilizer. The results from the field sites will be compared to the results from microcosms receiving the same treatments. The microcosms will have controlled moisture, aeration, and nutrients to maximize the microbial activity.

Approach:

We will sample the sites and microcosms to determine the mechanism(s) responsible for the desalination. We have proposed three mechanisms. The first mechanism is a purely physical effect: the hay provides pores for water to enter the soil and leach salt components away. The second mechanism is a purely chemical effect: compounds formed during the decay of the hay can exchange cations with the clay, releasing sodium. The third mechanism is both physical and chemical: molecules formed during the decay of hay or formed by microorganisms can bind the clay particles into water-stable aggregates. All mechanisms improve the permeability of the soil, allowing water to flush salt from the soil. The first mechanism should dominate early in a remediation project. The second and third mechanisms should become more important as the hay decays. Microbial action is important to all three mechanisms: biodegradation of the hay will decrease the rate of the first and increase the rates of the other two proposed mechanisms.

We will perform several analyses on the soils. We will monitor the concentrations of cations and anions in the soil to determine the desalination rate. We will perform permeation analyses to see if we are improving the permeability of the soil. We will determine the cation exchange capacity and the aggregate stability of the soil. In addition, we will monitor the total biomass and diversity of microorganisms with phospholipid fatty acid analysis to determine what microorganisms, if any, are responsible for the remediating effect of hay addition.

Expected Results:

In this project we hope to demonstrate the effectiveness of using hay to remediate a brine spill and determine the mechanism(s) of this remediation.

Publications and Presentations:

Publications have been submitted on this subproject: View all 1 publications for this subprojectView all 135 publications for this center

Supplemental Keywords:

Water, Geographic Area, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Remediation, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, Contaminated Sediments, Engineering, State, soils, subsurface drainage system, biodegradation, Oklahoma (OK), contaminated sediment, contaminated soil, desalination, hay, leachate

Progress and Final Reports:
2002 Progress Report


Main Center Abstract and Reports:
R827015    IPEC University of Tulsa (TU)

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R827015C001 Evaluation of Road Base Material Derived from Tank Bottom Sludges
R827015C002 Passive Sampling Devices (PSDs) for Bioavailability Screening of Soils Containing Petrochemicals
R827015C003 Demonstration of a Subsurface Drainage System for the Remediation of Brine-Impacted Soil
R827015C004 Anaerobic Intrinsic Bioremediation of Whole Gasoline
R827015C005 Microflora Involved in Phytoremediation of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons
R827015C006 Microbial Treatment of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM)
R827015C007 Using Plants to Remediate Petroleum-Contaminated Soil
R827015C008 The Use of Nitrate for the Control of Sulfide Formation in Oklahoma Oil Fields
R827015C009 Surfactant-Enhanced Treatment of Oil-Contaminated Soils and Oil-Based Drill Cuttings
R827015C010 Novel Materials for Facile Separation of Petroleum Products from Aqueous Mixtures Via Magnetic Filtration
R827015C011 Development of Relevant Ecological Screening Criteria (RESC) for Petroleum Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Exploration and Production Sites
R827015C012 Humate-Induced Remediation of Petroleum Contaminated Surface Soils
R827015C013 New Process for Plugging Abandoned Wells
R827015C014 Enhancement of Microbial Sulfate Reduction for the Remediation of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Aquifers - A Laboratory and Field Scale Demonstration
R827015C015 Locating Oil-Water Interfaces in Process Vessels
R827015C016 Remediation of Brine Spills with Hay
R827015C017 Continuation of an Investigation into the Anaerobic Intrinsic Bioremediation of Whole Gasoline
R827015C018 Using Plants to Remediate Petroleum-Contaminated Soil
R827015C019 Biodegradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Salt-Impacted Soil by Native Halophiles or Halotolerants and Strategies for Enhanced Degradation
R827015C020 Anaerobic Intrinsic Bioremediation of MTBE
R827015C021 Evaluation of Commercial, Microbial-Based Products to Treat Paraffin Deposition in Tank Bottoms and Oil Production Equipment
R827015C022 A Continuation: Humate-Induced Remediation of Petroleum Contaminated Surface Soils
R827015C023 Data for Design of Vapor Recovery Units for Crude Oil Stock Tank Emissions
R827015C024 Development of an Environmentally Friendly and Economical Process for Plugging Abandoned Wells
R827015C025 A Continuation of Remediation of Brine Spills with Hay
R827015C026 Identifying the Signature of the Natural Attenuation of MTBE in Goundwater Using Molecular Methods and "Bug Traps"
R827015C027 Identifying the Signature of Natural Attenuation in the Microbial Ecology of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Groundwater Using Molecular Methods and "Bug Traps"
R827015C028 Using Plants to Remediate Petroleum-Contaminated Soil: Project Continuation
R827015C030 Effective Stormwater and Sediment Control During Pipeline Construction Using a New Filter Fence Concept
R827015C031 Evaluation of Sub-micellar Synthetic Surfactants versus Biosurfactants for Enhanced LNAPL Recovery
R827015C032 Utilization of the Carbon and Hydrogen Isotopic Composition of Individual Compounds in Refined Hydrocarbon Products To Monitor Their Fate in the Environment
R830633 Integrated Petroleum Environmental Consortium (IPEC)
R830633C001 Development of an Environmentally Friendly and Economical Process for Plugging Abandoned Wells (Phase II)
R830633C002 A Continuation of Remediation of Brine Spills with Hay
R830633C003 Effective Stormwater and Sediment Control During Pipeline Construction Using a New Filter Fence Concept
R830633C004 Evaluation of Sub-micellar Synthetic Surfactants versus Biosurfactants for Enhanced LNAPL Recovery
R830633C005 Utilization of the Carbon and Hydrogen Isotopic Composition of Individual Compounds in Refined Hydrocarbon Products To Monitor Their Fate in the Environment
R830633C006 Evaluation of Commercial, Microbial-Based Products to Treat Paraffin Deposition in Tank Bottoms and Oil Production Equipment
R830633C007 Identifying the Signature of the Natural Attenuation in the Microbial Ecology of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Groundwater Using Molecular Methods and “Bug Traps”
R830633C008 Using Plants to Remediate Petroleum-Contaminated Soil: Project Continuation
R830633C009 Use of Earthworms to Accelerate the Restoration of Oil and Brine Impacted Sites
X832428C001 Effective Stormwater and Sediment Control During Pipeline Construction Using a New Filter Fence Concept
X832428C002 Paraffin Control in Oil Wells Using Anaerobic Microorganisms
X832428C003 Fiber Rolls as a Tool for Re-Vegetation of Oil-Brine Contaminated Watersheds

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.


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