Remediation of highly fuel oil-contaminated soil by food waste composting and its volatile organic compound (VOC) emission

Food waste composting was used to treat highly fuel oil-contaminated soil (two particle size fractions - fine 1.3 cm). The initial fuel oil concentrations in the fine and coarse piles were 12,000 and 11,850 mg/kg, respectively. After 45-day incubation, the removal efficiencies of the fine and coarse piles were 82% and 93%, respectively. Residual fuel oil concentration (847 mg/kg) in the coarse pile met the Taiwan EPA standard limit (1000 mg/kg). The results indicated that the soil particle size fraction affected the efficiency of the composting treatment. Besides, emissions of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) and BTEXs from the food waste composting treatment were investigated. Ketones and toluene were the most abundant species of OVOCs and BTEXs, respectively. This study demonstrated that food waste composting would be a promising treatment technology for highly fuel oil-contaminated soil.