Bioremediation of damaged desert environment using the windrow soil pile system in Kuwait

A number of diverse technological options are being considered for the remediation of contaminated soil in Kuwait. A bioremediation technique involving the use of composting soil piles was selected among the most appropriate methods and evaluated at pilot scale. The experiment was initiated in November 1992 at the Burgan oil field in which soil piles were constructed from the contaminated soil after amendment with necessary soil additives. The piles were subjected to regular irrigation and turning over and a monitoring program including monthly soil sample collection from each pile in which the petroleum hydrocarbon concentration, PAHs, microbial population, and dry substances were measured. The results obtained showed that the windrow soil pile system resulted in a significant reduction of oil contamination within 10 months. This paper describes the technology used and summarizes the results obtained.