Oily wastes from petroleum storage and aquifers impacted by chloromethanes pose significant challenges for environmental remediation due to their chemical complexity and persistence. This work presents the evaluation of integrated processes combining chemical and biological treatments to optimize the removal of recalcitrant contaminants in both solid and aqueous matrices.
In the case of oily wastes, advanced chemical oxidation was applied as an initial stage to reduce toxicity and transform complex hydrocarbon fractions into more bioavailable compounds. This pretreatment facilitated subsequent bioremediation using soil from a landfarming treatment, accelerating degradation and enhancing mineralization.
For the remediation of aquifers contaminated with chloromethanes, chemical reduction with zero-valent iron under anaerobic conditions was implemented to promote reductive dehalogenation. This process was complemented with bioaugmentation using specialized microbial consortia capable of completing the transformation of chlorinated compounds into non-toxic end products.
The results indicate that integrating chemical and biological processes generates synergies that improve efficiency, shorten treatment durations, and increase the sustainability of remediation efforts. These combined strategies represent robust and adaptable solutions for the treatment of contaminated sites with complex matrices.