Microbial assessment and bioremediation feasibility for petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils

开发以碳氢化合物为基础的地下能源对加拿大的经济作出了重大贡献。然而，能源和矿产开采行业面临着修复因重油、油砂、页岩气和煤层气等自然资源的强化开采而受到影响的环境的挑战。受碳氢化合物影响的土壤、经加工的油泥和自然资源开发产生的尾矿废物通常在地上土地农场、生物桩或土处理和废物处理设施中处理。由于与有害副产品和零排放政策相关的环境风险，受碳氢化合物影响的土壤和尾矿废物的修复，管理和回收/再利用受到了极大的关注。生物修复是指使用污染物利用微生物从环境基质中去除污染物或使污染物解毒。在石油工业中，生物修复通常被认为是一种经济有效、破坏性较小且更可行的烃污染土壤修复技术。与赫斯基石油运营有限公司合作，本研究旨在通过刺激场地土壤中天然存在的烃降解细菌来评估生物修复石油烃影响土壤的可行性。它还旨在为赫斯基石油公司的土地农场设施提供具有成本效益的高效现场生物修复策略。拟议的研究将侧重于发展关于土壤颗粒异质性和现场环境压力（季节性寒冷温度和盐度）如何调节石油碳氢化合物分布的新知识，以及土壤中碳氢化合物降解细菌的选择和增强。尖端的生物技术微生物种群分析与地质环境工程知识相结合，将在这个新的行业驱动的研究项目。研究的预期成果将有助于在自然资源开发过程中保护环境，并将为省级和联邦污染场地的补救措施提供信息。

The development of hydrocarbon-based subsurface energy contributes significantly to Canada's economy. However, the energy and mineral mining industries face the challenge of remediating environments impacted by intensified extractions of natural resources such as heavy oil, oil sands, shale gas, and coalbed methane. Hydrocarbon-impacted soils, processed oil sludge, and tailing wastes resulting from natural resource development are often disposed in above-ground landfarms, biopiles, or earthen disposal and waste treatment facilities. Remediation, management, and recycling/reuse of hydrocarbon-impacted soils and tailing wastes have received significant attention due to the environmental risks associated with hazardous byproducts and zero-discharge policies. Bioremediation refers to the use of pollutant-utilizing microorganisms to remove or detoxify contaminants from environmental matrices. In petroleum industries, bioremediation has often been considered a cost-effective, less destructive, and more feasible remediation technology for hydrocarbon-contaminated soils. In collaboration with Husky Oil Operations Limited, the present research aims to assess the feasibility of bioremediating petroleum hydrocarbon-impacted soils by stimulating hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria that naturally occur in the site soils. It also aims to provide cost-effective, highly efficient strategies for on-site bioremediation at the Husky Oil landfarm facilities. The proposed research will focus on developing new knowledge of how soil particle heterogeneity and on-site environmental stresses (seasonal cold temperatures and salinity) regulate the distribution of petroleum hydrocarbons and the selection and enhancement of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in the soils. Cutting-edge biotechnical microbial population analyses combined with geoenvironmental engineering knowledge will be employed in this new industry-driven research project. The anticipated outcomes of the research will contribute to protecting the environment during natural resource development and will inform provincial and federal contaminated site remediation practices.