Degradation of Sulfolane in Soil using Aerobic Bio-Pile Technology
17 Degradation of Sulfolane in Soil using Aerobic Bio-Pile Technology Linlong Yu, University of Calgary Ian Keir, Art Giurici, Gopal Achari and Cooper Langford, University of Calgary Sulfolane, an anthropogenic chemical, has been extensively used in the Shell Sulfinol process to remove H2S and other polar compounds from natural gas. Inappropriate sulfolane waste disposal practices, leaks and spills during sulfolane production, storage, transportation and processes have led to widespread soil and groundwater contamination. The impact of sulfolane pollution is felt more as it is highly soluble in water transporting to further distances beyond the original source. A recognition of this problem combined with the attention by regulators has pushed the sulfolane contamination issues to the forefront. So far, aerobic biodegradation has been shown as the only effective way to treat sulfolane contaminated soil in laboratory studies. However, no field scale studies have been reported to aerobically degrade sulfolane in soil. Although the sulfolane contaminated site might contain the sulfolane-eating microbes, the lack of nutrients, oxygen and other proper conditions would limit the aerobic degradation of sulfolane in-situ. Aerobic bio-pile technology has been considered as an economic and efficient method for field remediation of contaminated soil. This technology involves with the soil excavation, soil piling and supplementation with nutrients and air, which can be potentially used for sulfolane contaminated soil remediation. In this project, a feasibility laboratory study was firstly conducted on aerobic degradation of sulfolane in the soil collected from the contaminated site. The promising results obtained in the lab led to a field test of sulfolane degradation using bio-pile technologies. The field test was conducted in Western Alberta, Canada, where ambient temperature varied from -3 °C to 30 °C from July 22 to October 9. Six bio-piles (25 m3 ~300 m3) with different conditions were constructed on the sulfolane contaminated site. The results indicated that sulfolane can be effectively degraded in the bio-pile with proper aeration and nutrients at a rate of 42 mg/kg/day.
Linlong Yu, PhD Linlong Yu is currently a postdoctoral fellow and sulfolane project manager at University of Calgary. He received his PhD degree in the area of Environmental Engineering from University of Calgary in 2014. He has more than seven years’ experience in soil/water remediation. He developed the first LED based water treatment system and has conducted numerous laboratory research to treat different organic contaminants in soil/water and implemented the lab technologies into field application.
Linlong Yu, PhD Linlong Yu is currently a postdoctoral fellow and sulfolane project manager at University of Calgary. He received his PhD degree in the area of Environmental Engineering from University of Calgary in 2014. He has more than seven years’ experience in soil/water remediation. He developed the first LED based water treatment system and has conducted numerous laboratory research to treat different organic contaminants in soil/water and implemented the lab technologies into field application.
