RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article T1 Bioaugmentation and vermicompost facilitated the hydrocarbon bioremediation: scaling up from lab to field for petroleum-contaminated soils A1 Curiel Alegre, Sandra A1 Khan, Aqib Hassan Ali A1 Rad Moradillo, Juan Carlos A1 Velasco Arroyo, Blanca A1 Rumbo Lorenzo, Carlos A1 Rivilla, Rafael A1 Durán, David A1 Redondo-Nieto, Miguel A1 Borràs, Eduard A1 Molognoni, Daniele A1 Martín-Castellote, Soledad A1 Juez, Blanca A1 Barros García, Rocío K1 Bioaugmentation K1 Microbial consortium K1 Hydrocarbons K1 Vermicompost K1 Passive bioelectrochemical systems K1 Contaminación K1 Pollution K1 Química agrícola K1 Agricultural chemistry K1 Bioquímica K1 Biochemistry AB The biodegradation of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) in soil is very challenging due to the complex recalcitrant nature of hydrocarbon, hydrophobicity, indigenous microbial adaptation and competition, and harsh environmental conditions. This work further confirmed that limited natural attenuation of petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) (15% removal) necessitates efficient bioremediation strategies. Hence, a scaling-up experiment for testing and optimizing the use of biopiles for bioremediation of TPH polluted soils was conducted with three 500-kg pilots of polluted soil, and respective treatments were implemented: including control soil (CT), bioaugmentation and vermicompost treatment (BAVC), and a combined application of BAVC along with bioelectrochemical snorkels (BESBAVC), all maintained at 40% field capacity. This study identified that at pilot scale level, a successful application of BAVC treatment can achieve 90.3% TPH removal after 90 days. BAVC’s effectiveness stemmed from synergistic mechanisms. Introduced microbial consortia were capable of TPH degradation, while vermicompost provided essential nutrients, enhanced aeration, and, potentially, acted as a biosorbent. Hence, it can be concluded that the combined application of BAVC significantly enhances TPH removal compared to natural attenuation. While the combined application of a bioelectrochemical snorkel (BES) with BAVC also showed a significant TPH removal, it did not differ statistically from the individual application of BAVC, under applied conditions. Further research is needed to optimize BES integration with BAVC for broader applicability. This study demonstrates BAVC as a scalable and mechanistically sound approach for TPH bioremediation in soil. PB Springer Nature SN 1614-7499 YR 2024 FD 2024-03-22 LK http://hdl.handle.net/10259/9505 UL http://hdl.handle.net/10259/9505 LA eng NO Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work was funded by the GREENER project of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement No. 826312), Junta de Castilla y León (ORDEN EDU/1508/2020, de 15 de diciembre) and by Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (TED2021-130996B-I00). DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos RD 27-jul-2024