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Lookup NU author(s): Uzochukwu Ugochukwu Ugochukwu, Professor Ian Head, Professor David ManningORCiD, Dr Claire Fialips
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The role of clay minerals in crude oil saturated hydrocarbon removal during biodegradation was investigated in aqueous clay/saturated hydrocarbon microcosm experiments with a hydrocarbon degrading microorganism community. The clay minerals used for this study were montmorillonite, palygorskite, saponite and kaolinite. The clay mineral samples were treated with hydrochloric acid and didecyldimethylammonium bromide to produce acid activated- and organoclays respectively which were used in this study. The production of organoclay was restricted to only montmorillonite and saponite because of their relative high CEC. The study indicated that acid activated clays, organoclays and unmodified kaolinite, were inhibitory to biodegradation of the hydrocarbon saturates. Unmodified saponite was neutral to biodegradation of the hydrocarbon saturates. However, unmodified palygorskite and montmorillonite were stimulatory to biodegradation of the hydrocarbon saturated fraction and appears to do so as a result of the clays' ability to provide high surface area for the accumulation of microbes and nutrients such that the nutrients were within the 'vicinity' of the microbes. Adsorption of the saturated hydrocarbons was not significant during biodegradation.
Author(s): Ugochukwu UC, Jones MD, Head IM, Manning DAC, Fialips CI
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Biodegradation
Year: 2014
Volume: 25
Issue: 1
Pages: 153-165
Print publication date: 14/05/2013
ISSN (print): 0923-9820
ISSN (electronic): 1572-9729
Publisher: Springer
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10532-013-9647-0
DOI: 10.1007/s10532-013-9647-0
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