DOI: https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2015.92
Available at: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1440
Date of Award
6-2015
Degree Name
MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department/Program
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Advisor
Nirupam Pal
Abstract
The efficacy of BiOWiSHTM-Thai Aqua, a commercially discontinued microbial product, in remediating oil based drill-cutting mud (DCM) was researched in this study. Experimentation was performed directly on DCM and on sand contaminated with oil extracted from DCM. A gas chromatograph-mass spectrometrer and a respirometer were used for analysis of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and CO2 production respectively. Five experiments were analyzed by TPH extraction and analysis; four experiments were analyzed by respirometric analysis. The specific microcosm conditions tested in the experiments were control, nutrient-only control, and bioaugmentation product.
This study concluded that there might be potential for bioaugmentation of TPH using BiOWiSHTM-Thai Aqua. However, a more extensive study including multiple replicates of samples over a longer sampling time period is required to make a conclusion. TPH analysis from the Sand Microcosm Experiment suggested that in seven days, the addition of BiOWiSHTM-Thai Aqua improved TPH removal relative to the control by 89% while the nutrient-only control improved by 58%. Respirometric analysis suggested CO2 respiration of glucose overshadowed CO2 respiration from biodegradation. Thus, major conclusions could not be made from the respirometric analysis.