Background and Objective: The high concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons, along with some other parameters such as aromatics, paraffin, naphthene, and heavy metals, has led to the sludge of oil sludge listed as hazardous materials with a specific source by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the potential of oil-contaminated soil in changing the biodegradability indices of oil sludge.
Materials and Methods: Moisture, pH, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, elemental analysis, and amount and type of TPH of oil sludge samples were identified. The microbial consortium was isolated from contaminated oil soil around the oil refinery and poultry manure. Finally, biodegradability indices of oil sludge were examined.
Results: The results showed that the amount of organic carbon and nitrogen in oil sludge samples were 32.65 and 0.21%, respectively. Also, iron, calcium, and potassium with 5862, 2921, and 524 mg/kg, respectively, were the most elemental components in petroleum sludge. According to the SARA analysis, the highest TPH compounds in oil sludge samples included saturated compounds, aromatics, resins, and asphaltene with 70.45%, 15.2%, 10.9%, and 3.45%, respectively.
Conclusion: According to the results of biodegradability indicators of oil sludge, it can be concluded that the isolated consortium can be proposed as a suitable tool for the treatment of petroleum sludge at the bottom of crude oil storage tanks.