Site characterization

In southern Spain, in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva) the CEPSA Refinery La Rábida has a contaminated soil storage area where soil affected from small spills is deposited and stored.

These soils are very heterogeneous regarding type and concentration of pollutants, so two piles were formed, and the soil was mixed to achieve a matrix that was as homogeneous as possible.

The texture of the soil was sandy, and the main pollutants present in the soil were long chain total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH C10-C40).

For soil sampling, the contaminated soil was excavated and differently homogeneized piles were formed.

Small pilots

For the validation step of small pilots, 15 reactors of 0.5 m³ were constructed in a greenhouse at UAM facilities to scale up the best treatment design chosen in the biotreatability tests.

These reactors were laden with a combination of fungal inoculum plus bulking agent (Spent mushroom substrate), and contaminated soil. Operated in parallel under forced aeration to simulate conditions in full-scale mycopiles, each container possesses independent aeration, variable monitoring, irrigation systems, soil moisture control, and leachate management.

The small mycopiles were accommodated within a technical building or greenhouses, ensuring operational continuity even during winter conditions.