Summary:

Most of used mineral and organic sorbents are hazardous waste and, therefore, in accordance with actual law regulations must be converted thermally or deposited in the special landfill for hazardous waste. The optimal solution would be sorption materials that could be used repeatedly, without the need for costly and cumbersome lanfilling. Sorbents, which due to their properties could be used repeatedly, are MSW composts generated from mixed or only organic municipal waste. In this study we have investigated the rate of degradation of motor oil on MSW waste composts with microflora pre-adapted for use of oil products as source of carbon. Comparison of degradation efficiency, was calculated in comparison to the commercial sorbents. During the experiment the total amount of synthetic motor oil and individual n-alkanes with carbon chain length from C22 to C40. During the experiment, there were observed more intensive oil degradation processes on waste composts in comparison to commercial sorbents. Microflora which use n-alkanes as a carbon source, ensured quick (noted after the first month of the experiment), reduction of the amount of hydrocarbons contamination in the samples, and thus the possibility of re-use of compost as a sorbent. The observed rapid degradation process, indicates the direction of the recovery of compost waste, used previously as a sorbent for the removal of petroleum contaminants (motor oil). Undoubtedly, this is a cheaper way than the thermal incineration or storage.