Diagnostic hydrocarbon pollution in Veracruz beaches and airlift bioreactor as suggestion of remediation

The aim of the study was identified pollution by hydrocarbons in the beaches adjacent of the port of Veracruz and propose an alternative to bioremediation. Carried out monitoring in the mouths of May and July of 2018, in the water of the beaches near the port of Veracruz, where hydrocarbons were found such as tetracosane (0.24 ± 0.01 mg L^-1) and benzo(a)pyrene (2.05 ± 1.02 mg L^-1). For remediation was proposed an airlift bioreactor, in a medium formed by seawater and a nitrogen source, where suspended solids increased until 1.95 ± 0.02 g L^-1, diesel fell 98% of its initial concentration (1.5 g L^-1), emulsifying activity reached a value of 1.07 ± 0.01 AE mL^-1 and initial droplet size was 1283.83 ± 76.02 nm and decreased to 677.63 ± 20.28 nm. Also, the bioreactor was assessed without a nitrogen source, suspended solids dropped until 0.02 ± 0.01 g L^-1, diesel fell 10%, emulsifying activity reached a value of 1.42 ± 0.06 AE mL^-1 and droplet size dropped from 1361.54 ± 7.55 nm to 974.32 ±14.18 nm. The results showed that the bioreactor with nitrogen source is able biodegrade the hydrocarbons found.

Keywords: Hydrocarbon, Airlift bioreactor, Remediation, Veracruz, nitrogen source.