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REMOTE NORTHERN AND DRYLAND PHYTOREMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
Murray, E.W., B. Greenberg, B. Poltorak, J. Spies, J. McKeown, K. Cryer, and P. Gerwing.
RemTech 2017: Remediation Technologies Symposium. Presentation 58, 38 slides, 2017

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)-enhanced phytoremediation systems (PEPS™) have been implemented for cost-effective removal of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), PAHs, and salt from soils across Canada. PEPS are used to facilitate the growth of abundant root biomass in contaminated soils, which stimulates rhizobacteria growth to facilitate partitioning of contaminants out of the soil, degrade PHCs, and sequester salt in plant foliage. PEPS technologies were first deployed at the Nota Creek C-17 site near Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, in 2008 to treat contamination associated with historical drilling activities. Between 2008 and 2016, surface soils and media excavated from several onsite pits and sumps were stacked in three layers and treated to applicable criteria to remove salt and PHC using PEPS. In 2016/2017, additional contaminated soil was excavated from the sumps and pits to form a fourth treatment layer that will undergo PEPS treatment in future growing seasons. PEPS were also deployed at the site of a former gas plant located northeast of Drumheller to treat PHC-contaminated soils in a one-time biopile soil treatment facility. In the first 2 years of phytoremediation, ~5,000 m3 of PHC-contaminated soils were successfully treated to applicable criteria.
Slides: http://www.esaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/17-Murray.pdf Longer abstract: http://www.esaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/RemTech2017Abstracts-58.pdf



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