(562s) Hybrid Technology for Soil Remediation: Foam Injection and Bioremediation

Remediation of soil contaminated with hydrocarbons is a concern in the world, especially in Mexico; there is an increase in the sinisters caused by fuel theft and bad handling of operation systems. The polluted regions comprise agricultural, recreational, ecological and habitational soil, thus giving a solution to this problem is priority.

We are proposing a hybrid technology to apply in fields where the incidence has occurred in a short term and that for its activity, it is fundamental the recovery of the natural state of the soil. The system comprises foam injection and soil flushing to remove the major amount of free hydrocarbon adsorbed to the soil. The foam technology can help drag the hydrocarbons in the soil with a very low amount of chemical and better control than water based solutions. The formulation of the foam includes a mixture of synthetic and biosurfactant and cactus leave mucilage that increases the viscosity of the water matrix inducing stability to the foams. By microbiologic protocols it has been demonstrated that cactus leave mucilage does not affect the connate microbiota and does not develop harmful microorganisms to the system.

The development of hidrocarbonoclastic bacteria has been observed in contaminated soil without any previous treatment and after flushing the soil with the foaming formulation. Bacteria can develop after flushing with the foam, leading to the possibility of promoting a remediation train comprising on a short tem soil flushing process followed by bio-remediation. Soil restauration is still being studied at laboratory and field scale.