Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology

Abstract

A Novel Approach for Optimization of Crude Oil Bioremediation in Soil bythe Taguchi Method

Seyed Foad Aghamiri, Kasra Kabiri and Giti Emtiazi

A design of experiment technique, the Taguchi method, has been used to optimize bioremediation of crude oil in contaminated soils. Mixed cultures of three strains of bacteria were used. Two sets of experiments were conducted with 8 factors in each set. In the first set of experiments the factors were aeration, bacteria, urea, glucose, humidity, compost, salt, and temperature. In the second set of experiments aeration and temperature were replaced with time and activated sludge, also molasses was used as additional carbon source. The contribution percentage of each factor was determined by analysis of variance. The oil removal was 64.4% and 68% for optimum conditions of the first and second set of experiments, respectively. Addition of urea and molasses showed low effect on oil removal, whereas aeration revealed 98% of oil removal from the contaminated soil. Also addition of activated sludge and compost did not substitute for mix culture of Pseudomonas.