Oyarekhua Precious Atemoagbo

Oil contamination of soil and groundwater poses significant environmental and health risks, prompting this study to evaluate the effectiveness, costs, and environmental impacts of various treatment methods. A comprehensive review of 50 case studies and research papers reveals that biological treatment methods, specifically biodegradation and phytoremediation, achieve the highest contaminant removal rates (85-95%) at lower costs ($50-100/m3), outperforming chemical oxidation and solvent extraction (60-80%, $100-500/m3) and physical methods (40-70%, high energy consumption). Furthermore, risk assessment indicates biological methods pose the lowest environmental risks, while chemical methods pose the highest. Sensitivity analysis underscores the importance of site-specific conditions and contaminant levels. Overall, the results suggest biological treatment methods, particularly biodegradation, as the most effective and cost-efficient option for oil-contaminated soil and groundwater remediation.