Box-Behnken design application to study enhanced bioremediation of soil artificially contaminated with spent engine oil using biostimulation strategy

This work studies the biodegradation of spent engine oil in soil using Box-Behnken design under response surface methodology. NPK fertilizer (inorganic nutrient), Tween 80 (nonionic surfactant), and pig manure (organic nutrient) concentrations were used as independent biostimulant variables, while total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)) reductions as dependent variables (response) in a 42-day remediation period. A statistically significant second-order quadratic regression model for TPH and Cr (VI) removal was obtained. The coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9995 for TPH and 0.9988 for Cr (VI)) and probability value (P < 0.0001) demonstrated significance for the regression model. Numerical optimization technique based on desirability function was carried out for initial spent engine oil concentration of 10% w/w to optimize the biodegradation process. The optimum values for biostimulation agents to achieve a predicted maximum TPH and Cr (VI) removal of 67.20% and 53.20%, respectively, were found to be as follows: NPK fertilizer, 4.22 g; Tween 80, 10.69 mg/l; and pig manure, 47.76 g. At this optimum point, the observed TPH and Cr (VI) reductions were found to be 66.47% and 52.33%, respectively. The statistical analyses and the closeness of the experimental results and model predictions show the reliability of the regression model, and thus, biostimulation of indigenous microbial density and activity can reduce remediation period of petroleum hydrocarbon and heavy metal-contaminated environment and subsequently the cost of remediation.