Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soil in Cold Climate Conditions: Electrokinetic-Bioremediation Technology as a Remediation Strategy

Oil is one of the more toxic pollutants in the environment. Due to the fragility of the Arctic environment to anthropogenic disturbances, the persistence and severity of ecological impacts from oil spills can be significant. The development of non-invasive and sustainable solutions for soil remediation is a pressing problem. The feasibility of electrokinetic technology as a remediation strategy to enhance oil removal from soil under cold climate conditions was assessed. The soil was collected in Sisimiut, Greenland from a dump site after an oil spill. A range of temperatures and different strategies for applying electric current were tested in experiments over 14 days. The soil showed a total petroleum hydrocarbon concentration of 69 500 mg kg−1, and the levels decreased between 43% and 78%. The effect of the electric field for oil removal was not verified when compared with controls. Naturally cold-adapted microorganisms seemed to have a strong influence on oil remediation under the tested conditions.