Abstract Manager

Contamination of soil with hydrocarbons destroys terrestrial ecosystems and leaves soils infertile. Petroleum hydrocarbons can consequentially contaminate groundwater, spreading across vast areas beyond the initial point of contamination. Soil remediation techniques involving physical, thermal, or chemical processes can be invasive to the environment and expensive. These techniques are often performed ex situ and can be extremely disruptive of surrounding urban activities. When considering the opinion of the public eye and local governing bodies, these techniques are not always feasible. Therefore, there is a need for remediation techniques which are non-invasive yet effective. 
Bioremediation uses microbial processes to degrade soil contaminants and is often a simpler and more cost-effective solution that can be applied in situ and ex situ. Microbes become acclimated to the area in which the population exists.  Isolating bacterial strains from contaminated soils can result in an all-natural consortium which synergistically breaks down hydrocarbons.  Sourcing from Northern soils results in microbes which are cold adapted, increasing the length of active microbial activity in harsher climates.  The application of hydrocarbon remediating microbes is examined in this field study, in which residual hydrocarbon contamination was left behind by excavation and extended to inaccessible areas under surrounding roadways and buildings. Ground water contamination with hydrocarbon compounds was monitored annually. TPH and other hydrocarbon contaminates were observed to decrease to acceptable levels as per the Ontario Ministry of the Environment all while leaving existing infrastructure undamaged.