• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.724-727
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• 2000

A Phenanthrene-degrading bacterium, Strain 1-21 was isolated from oil-contaminated soil. This strain was a Gram-negative, aerobic, and rod-shaped bacterium, and exhibited a 99% sequence similarity of 16S rDNA to that of Sphingomonas subarctica. The major cellular fatty acid was a summed feature 7(18:1 w7c, 18:1 w9t, 18:1 s12t), which is a characteristic of the Sphingomonas species. When 200 and 1,000 ppm of phenanthrene was added as the sole carbon source, Strain 1-21 degraded 98% and 67% after 10 days of incubation, respectively. Futhermore, this strain was also able to utilized naphthalene and fluorene as sole carbon and energy sources.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.541-550
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• 2023

The escalating growth of industrial sectors has led to a pervasive global problem—oil pollution, particularly in industrial areas. The release of substantial volumes of oil and its by-products into the environment has resulted in extensive contamination. Multiple factors contribute to the entry of these substances into water bodies and soils, thereby inflicting irreparable consequences on ecosystems, natural resources, and human health. Consequently, it becomes imperative to comprehend the characteristics and behavior of oil pollution, anticipate its impacts, and develop effective mitigation strategies. Understanding this intricate issue requires considering the physicochemical properties of the environment, the interactions between oil and sediments, and biological factors such as evaporation and dissolution. Although the oil industry has brought about remarkable advancements, its activities have raised significant concerns regarding pollution from extraction and production processes. Oil-rich nations face a particularly challenging predicament of soil pollution caused by petroleum compounds. The areas surrounding oil exploration mines and refineries often endure contamination due to oil leakages from storage tanks and transmission lines resulting from deterioration and damage. Investigating the dispersion of such pollutants and devising methods to remediate petroleum-contaminated soil represent crucial and intricate issues within the realm of environmental geotechnics.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.529-540
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• 2012

Objective: This research was performed to evaluate the state of oil pollution in an area surrounding a railway station that has over 100 years of business history as a railway station in S City, Korea. The amount of polluted soil was estimated, and the target area for remediation was assessed in this study to restore the oil-polluted area. Methods: To accomplish this aim, five observation wells were installed for the sampling of groundwater, and soil was sampled at 33 points. Electric resistance studies and a trench investigation were undertaken to understand the geological conditions of the site, and the groundwater movement in this area was simulated by MODFLOW. Physiochemical analyses were conducted to determine the quality of the groundwater and the current state of oil pollution influenced by that of the soil. Results: The mean level of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in this area was 1,059 mg/kg, and the area for remediation was determined to be 7,610 mg/kg. Levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) were determined to be under the legal standard. Conclusion: In terms of depth, the biggest area polluted by TPH found was between 0 and 1 m from ground level, and the affected area was 5,900 $m^3$. TPHs were not detected in groundwater. Diesel and lubricating oil were the main causes of TPH pollution at this railway station.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1238-1249
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• 2023

In this study, we sought to investigate the production and optimization of biosurfactants by soil fungi isolated from petroleum oil-contaminated soil in Saudi Arabia. Forty-four fungal isolates were isolated from ten petroleum oil-contaminated soil samples. All isolates were identified using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and biosurfactant screening showed that thirty-nine of the isolates were positive. Aspergillus niger SA1 was the highest biosurfactant producer, demonstrating surface tension, drop collapsing, oil displacement, and an emulsification index (E₂₄) of 35.8 mN/m, 0.55 cm, 6.7 cm, and 70%, respectively. This isolate was therefore selected for biosurfactant optimization using the Fit Group model. The biosurfactant yield was increased 1.22 times higher than in the nonoptimized medium (8.02 g/l) under conditions of pH 6, temperature 35℃, waste frying oil (5.5 g), agitation rate of 200 rpm, and an incubation period of 7 days. Model significance and fitness analysis had an RMSE score of 0.852 and a p-value of 0.0016. The biosurfactant activities were surface tension (35.8 mN/m), drop collapsing (0.7 cm), oil displacement (4.5 cm), and E₂₄ (65.0%). The time course of biosurfactant production was a growth-associated phase. The main outputs of the mathematical model for biomass yield were Yx/s (1.18), and µ_max (0.0306) for biosurfactant yield was Y_p/s (1.87) and Y_p/x (2.51); for waste frying oil consumption the So was 55 g/l, and Ke was 2.56. To verify the model's accuracy, percentage errors between biomass and biosurfactant yields were determined by experimental work and calculated using model equations. The average error of biomass yield was 2.68%, and the average error percentage of biosurfactant yield was 3.39%.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.97-99
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• 1996

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.995-1000
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• 2011

The bioremediation potential of crude oil by Polyporus sp. S133 pre-grown in wood meal was investigated in two separate experiment trials; liquid medium and soil. The effect of three nutrients (glucose, polypeptone, and wood meal), oxygen flow, and some absorbent on the efficiency of the process was also evaluated. Degradation of crude oil in soil was significantly increased with an addition of oxygen flow and some absorbent (kapok and pulp). The highest degradation rate of crude oil was 93% in the soil with an addition of 10% kapok. The present study clearly demonstrates that, if suitably developed, Polyporus sp. S133 could be used to remediate soil contaminated with crude oil.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.13-22
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• 2002

Soil washing by surfactants is a technology to enhance mobilization and subsequent degradation of oil pollutants by reducing the surface tension of pollutants which is combined with soil. In this study, biosurfactant, rhamnolipid was produced from Pseudomonas aemginosa ATCC 9027 which had an excellent biodegradable activity in soil without causing secondary pollution. Effects of chemical surfactants on the removal of diesel from diesel-contaminated soil were compared to those of biosurfactants including rhamnolipid. Diesel removal efficiency by rhamnolipid extracted from P. aeruginosa culture broth was over 95% in both batch and column washing test in 5,000ppm diesel-contaminated soil with 1% surfactants after washing for 24 hours. On the contrary, the results of chemical surfactants were below 50∼80%, The chemical surfactants with HLB value(8∼15) showed more then 75% efficiency of diesel removal. But, when the HLB values were below 8 or over 15. their efficiency were observed as less then 60% of diesel removal. Rhamnolipid, biologically produced surfactants, may also be promising agent for enhancing diesel removal from contaminated soil.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.46-52
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• 2014

This study was conducted to observe the removal efficiency of oil-contaminated soil by various tests using microwaves and high-temperature heating elements. The water content was measured with the treatment amount, which was lowered to 300g in a relatively short amount of time. The treatment rate of TPH(Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons) showed the highest value with 70.1% when the SiC-activated carbon heating element was at 4 kW/kg, compared to the SiC heating element used alone. In particular, the higher electric power became, the higher treatment rate became, except at 3 kW. In the case of the heating element made by the fusion of SiC and activated carbon, the internal temperature exceeded $300^{\circ}C$ and again fell when it was treated at 4 kW for about 2 minutes. Then, after about 8 minutes, it rose again. On the basis of such results, the energy content necessary for the sample was calculated according to the electric power of microwaves, and tthe constant of TPH treatment was measured by tests on the treatment characteristics of oil-contaminated soil.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.37-45
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• 2007

Phytoremediation has been used effectively for the biodegradation of oil-based contaminants, including diesel, by the stimulation of soil microbes near plant roots (rhizosphere). However, the technique has rarely been assessed for itsinfluence on soil microbial properties such as population, community structure, and diversity. In this study, the removal efficiency and characteristics of rhizobacteria for phytoremediation of diesel-contaminated soils were assessed using barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli). The concentration of spiked diesel for treatments was around $6000\;mg\;kg^{-1}$. Diesel removal efficiencies reached 100% in rhizosphere soils, 76% in planted bulk soils, and 62% in unplanted bulk soils after 3weeks stabilization and 2 months growth(control, no microbial activity: 32%). The highest populations of culturable soil bacteria ($5.89{\times}10^8$ per g soil) and culturable hydrocarbon-degraders($5.65{\times}10^6$ per g soil) were found in diesel-contaminated rhizosphere soil, also yielding the highest microbial dehydrogenase. This suggests that the populations of soil bacteria, including hydrocarbon-degraders, were significantly increased by a synergistic rhizosphere + diesel effect. The diesel treatment alone resulted in negative population growth. In addition, we investigated the bacterial community structures of each soil sample based on DGGE (Denaturing Gel Gradient Electrophoresis) band patterns. Bacterial community structure was most influenced by the presence of diesel contamination (76.92% dissimilarity to the control) and by a diesel + rhizosphere treatment (65.62% dissimilarity), and least influenced by the rhizosphere treatment alone (48.15% dissimilarity). Based on the number of distinct DGGE bands, the bacterial diversity decreased with diesel treatment, but kept constant in the rhizosphere treatment. The rhizosphere thus positively influenced bacterial population density in diesel-contaminated soil, resulting in high removal efficiency of diesel.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.647-651
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• 2014

Handling of the large quantity of oil, generation of heavy metals at the military blasting range and outworn facilities could cause the environmental accidents. Pollution levels of the former five U.S military bases located in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi-do were measured. Soil contamination by TPH (Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons), BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene), and heavy metals and groundwater contamination were detected. In order to purify contaminated soil, a variety of technologies including soil vapor extraction, slurping, landfarming and soil washing were applied. Contaminated soils of five target bases were purified and the results were suitable for the legal standards.