AboutDavid L. Russell, PE Expertise I`m a Chemical,Civil and Environmental Engineer and have a number of projects in all phases of the environment.
I have worked in the chemical industry and am active in professional societies, and am currently on an industrial wastes committee for the Water Environment Federation, and have taught courses in remediation in the US and abroad.
I have written one book on Remediation of petroleum Contaminated Sites, and have a second book on PRACTICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT to be published by John Wiley in September, 2006. I've also written over 30 articles on various elements of environmental problems and cleanup. Most Recently, I have addressed a NATO Scientific and Techical Conference on Ecoterrorism, and have worked with the same group on remediation of sites contaminated with Chemical Warfare Agent materials and othe materials as well. . I can answer q`s about Chemical and Environmental Engineering, land development, air pollution, water pollution, soil and water cleanup, combustion, international environmental problems, industrial processes chemical processes. Civil and Environmental and Chemical Engineering. Overall, I have over 35 years of experience in this area. Note: I do not answer homework questions
Experience I love work in the third world and developing areas
because it is challenging and one can get a sense of accomplishment.
Question Hi, I wanted to do a science project on bioremediation or anything related to that such as Phytoremediation or Mycoremediation. Do you have any suggestions? ThankYou
Answer The easiest would be to get some sand, some manure, a bit of fertilizer, a scale and some pans.
weigh the sand (take a small quantity) then add a very little bit of motor oil and weigh it again. The difference in weights is the amount of oil added.
the oil is your source of Carbon. You need to add enough fertilizer (Ammonium nitrate or 20-10-10 or something equivalent to get you to a Carbon, nitrogen phosphorous as C:N:P of roughly 20:5:1. The phosphate can come from a commercial fertilizer which contains both Nitrogen and phosphorous. IN fertilizers, the numbers measure Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium. So a High N Low P fertilizer works fine. The specific ratios are C:N:P between 100:5:1 and 20:5:1.
When you have mixed in your fertilizer, you can then mix in the manure, you will need to have a few grams well mixed, there is not any specific amount. That's your biopile.
Now from Hach Chemicals (order it first or talk to your science advisor) you will need a way to measure either total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) or oil concentrations. Sorry I don't have one of their current catalogs and don't know what the pricing is. You might be able to rent the equipment from a local environmental equipment rental place like Pine Environmental- they are national.
Plan your work in advance because the pile will move slowly and may take 6 weeks. Oh yes, you will also have to water it periodically to keep it moist. you should be able to smell the oil being reduced in the soil. You won't need daily measurements, but probably weekly.
write me back if you can't find the equipment or a rental place.
Good luck.
