The total content of lead in soil from the battery plant site was determined and a speciation analysis of this element was carried out using Rudd's method of sequential extraction. It was found out that lead is present in soil samples mostly in a low mobility organically bound form, which under certain conditions can, however, be absorbed by plants, and in a moderately mobile carbonate form. Lead was extracted from soil using sodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and sodium hydroxide solution and tests were also conducted to separate it from leaching solutions electrochemically. Extraction with Na2 -EDTA solution makes it possible to remove 86% of lead from soil, but the solution shows much lower lead extraction power when used for renewed leaching after having been electrochemically freed of lead. Extraction with NaOH solution gives worse results, namely only 70% of lead can be removed from soil, but the solution after having been electrochemically freed of Pb shows higher Pb leaching power when used for renewed leaching than in the case of Na2 - EDTA solution.

The present study thoroughly evaluated the effect of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) on eluting of Aroclor1242 (one kind of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)) from contaminated soil. The factors that might affect eluting efficiency including HP-β-CD concentration, contact time, eluting cycles, temperature, pH, salt content, humic acid, and ultrasonic were all tested to evaluate the PCBs eluting efficiency by HP-β-CD. Results indicated that Aroclor1242 can be eluted effectively from soil by HP-β-CD solution, 81% of Aroclor1242 was eluted from soil by 50 g/L of HP-β-CD solution after three cycles eluting, and the eluting efficiency was improved by increasing temperature and with ultrasonic. Furthermore, it was shown that the humic acid and extreme acidic/alkaline condition both decreased the eluting efficiency. In addition, column eluting experiment was conducted to simulate the practical HP-β-CD eluting of Aroclor1242 from contaminated soil, 18% of the PCBs was eluted from the soil column by 10 g/L of HP-β-CD. Overall, the results indicated the high extract power of HP-β-CD toward PCBs polluted soil and potential use of HP-β-CD for in situ remediation of PCBs contaminated soils.

In the present work, bacteria of the Pseudomonas genus native to the Ecuadorian Amazon with the capacity to treat contaminated water and soils were selected. For this purpose, 20 soil samples from Amazon region with evidence of contamination were analysed. For identification, each sample was assigned a code according to the sampling area: Joya de los Sachas (S), Minga (M) and Siete de Julio-Shushufindi (SH). The cultures were performed in the combination of Bushnell Hass (BH) + Luria Bertani (LB) and Müeller-Hinton (MH) + Brucella agar (BA) media, all with the addition of diesel to verify their efficacy in the growth of bacteria capable of surviving in contaminated media. The combination with ideal results was that of BH + LB, by means of Gram-staining it was determined that 19 of the samples had interest microorganisms. To characterize the isolates at the species level, biochemical tests of: catalase, citrate, glucose, hemolytic activity and urease were applied, which allowed to confirm the existence of the Pseudomonas of interest. The results indicated that P. stutzeri (in samples S1 and M1), P. aeruginosa (in SH2 and SH5) and P. putida (in S7, S8, S10 and SH4) obtaining a total of 8 isolates (40%) of interest from the initial 19. With the results obtained from this work, an optimal culture method was standardized for the selection of bacteria with potential for treating contaminated soils and water.

The aim of this work is purification of contaminated soil from manufactured gas plants MGP, which arc not used. Prepared chromatographic methodologies, which allow qualitative identification and quantitative determination of individual aliphatic and aromatic (TAH, PAH) hydrocarbons in the soil from the selected MGP, arc presented. The results of the research on remediation of the soil polluted with petroleum hydrocarbons (TAH, PAHs) in semi-field conditions arc discussed. Application of basic biorcmcdiation and bioaugmcntation with indigenous microorganisms, enriched with PAH biodegradable fungi, resulted in reduction in amount of 5- and 6-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The research enables control of remediation progress, selection of optimal doses of biogenie compounds and determines the time of the process. The entire cycle of soil remediation was monitored with the use of gas chromatography (GC). Estimation ofbiodcgradation degree of individual aliphatic hydrocarbons (alkancs) was based on changes in their concentration in the soil and determined by biodegradation indicators: C,/pristanc and C,/phytanc ratios. Attention was paid particularly to biodcgradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which were observed in substantial concentrations in the polluted soil. The elaborated chromatographic methodology of PAH determination in the soil enabled estimation of a biodcgradation rate referring to individual compounds. Moreover, attempts to create a TAH biodcgradation model with the use of C30-l 7a(H),2 l l3(H)-hopanc were undertaken.