Technology for speeding on-site cleanup of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils at gasoline service stations is under development at the University of Saskatchewan and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), Canada. Phosphorus-based soil additives are being formulated to trap and remove hydrocarbons for easier digestion by soil-based organisms.

By eliminating the need for soil excavation, such on-site treatment could potentially halve remediation costs. With more than 30,000 contaminated gas station sites in Canada alone, this might translate into potential savings of approximately $7.5 billion.

The researchers are making use of waste materials from a cattle processing plant as the basis for remediation agents. The wastes are converted into a water-based, nutrient-rich material that can be injected into soil to aid bacteria and fungi in breaking down petrochemicals.Derek Peak, soil scientist at University of Saskatchewan.

The project is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) through its College-University Idea to Innovation (CU-I2I) grant. This funding category supports development of promising technology from academia and promotes its transfer to industry. Federated Cooperatives Limited (FCL) and United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative Limited (UFA) are jointly providing an additional $75,000 cash and $337,500 in-kind contribution.

The funding will support three years of research to make new compounds at NAIT, evaluate them at University of Saskatchewan laboratories and the Canadian Light Source synchrotron, and then pilot-test the soil additives at two sites in Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada.