The effect of biosurfactant (rhamnolipid)‎ on contaminated soil by petroleum hydrocarbons from oil spills in el-Zawia City-Libya

Abstract EN

The petroleum contaminations are identified as challenges for environments and human health, where petroleum products have caused serious problems in the contamination of the soil and groundwater.

Recently many technologies have been put into use to clean such pollution.

In this study, the biosurfactant has been used for washing contaminated soil to enhance biodegradation of the contaminants.

The amount of contamination of soil was assessed by using Adenosine Trl-Phosphate (ATP) bioluminescence technique.

The soil was treated with different concentrations of the Rhamnolipid solutions (0.5, 1, and 2%) for different incubation time and finally the effect of the biosurfactant (Rhamnolipid) in enhancing degradation of contaminated hydrocarbon soil was conducted by using gas chromatograph technique (GC) before and after treatment.

The measurement of ATP showed an Increase in the growth of the microorganism in the presence of different concentrations of rhamnolipid while a decrease in the control.

The GC analysis confirmed that rhamnolipid enhanced the degradation of a major portion of sorbed hydrocarbon from contaminated soil relative to treatment without rhamnolipid.

1 % and 2 % rhamnolipid were the most effective concentration in hydrocarbon biodegradation.