Bioremediation of Hydrocarbon-Polluted Soils in the Niger Delta: A Comparative Review of Remediation Techniques and Biostimulation Products, With Emphasis on Clogen and Solpawa: A Comparative Review
Abstract
Petroleum exploration, production and transportation activities in Nigeria's Niger Delta have generated an extensive legacy of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils that threaten soil fertility, plant growth, groundwater quality and human health. Numerous physical, chemical and biological techniques have been developed to remediate such soils, but bioremediation, and biostimulation in particular, has emerged as the most economical and environmentally compatible strategy for the large, diffuse contamination that characterises the region. This review compares the principal bioremediation strategies documented in the literature, namely biostimulation, bioaugmentation, phytoremediation and mycoremediation, in terms of mechanism of action, reported total petroleum hydrocarbon degradation efficiency and operational constraints, and undertakes a focused comparative analysis of two indigenously manufactured Nigerian biostimulation products, Clogen and Solpawa, that are increasingly deployed by remediation contractors across the Niger Delta. Drawing on published field and laboratory studies, the review shows that although both products can independently achieve TPH degradation efficiencies exceeding 90%, they act through complementary rather than duplicate mechanisms: Clogen through soil conditioning, hydrocarbon emulsification and bioaugmentation, and Solpawa through concentrated nitrogen-phosphorus- potassium nutrient supplementation. This complementarity suggests that a combined application strategy may deliver more consistent and accelerated remediation outcomes than either product used in isolation. The review identifies the absence of published data on combined Clogen- Solpawa application as a significant research gap and outlines factors likely to govern the success of such a combined regime under Niger Delta field conditions.
Keywords
bioremediation; biostimulation; hydrocarbon-polluted soil; Clogen; Solpawa; Niger Delta; total petroleum hydrocarbon degradation.
References
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