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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/ETERM/31
Use of rhamnolipids produced from winery residues in soil washing and bioremediation
processes
Mentore Vaccari1, Alif Chebbi1, Franco Hernán Gomez1, Giovanni Vinti1, Andrea
Franzetti2 , Beatrice Murena2, Isabella Gandolfi2, Silvia Sbaffoni3, Tiziana Beltrani3,
Emanuela De Marco3

1University of Brescia, Italy
2University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
3ENEA, Rome, Italy
Correspondence: mentore.vaccari@unibs.it

Abstract

The following ongoing research has been developed within the project “CREIAMO – Circular
economy in olive oil and wine sectors. Valorization of by-products and residues through
innovative processes and new business models”. The project, funded by Fondazione Cariplo,
brings to light a contemporary issue on the international agenda: applying the principles of
circular economy to agriculture, focusing on wine and oil supply chain, two of the most
important agricultural activities in the world. It is essential to consider that petroleum
hydrocarbon and oil spills represent contemporary global issues with adverse environmental
and health outcomes. Indeed, dispersion, photo-oxidation, and biodegradation naturally occur
very slowly. Nowadays, soil pollution can be tackled via green approaches involving the
Circular Economy (CE) concept to produce eco-friendly soil treating agents, e.g.,
biosurfactants.
In this research, rhamnolipids (RLs) were applied on contaminated soil, previously produced
on agricultural wastes using a non-pathogenic strain. To the best of our knowledge, the study
entailed the first attempts to apply cell-free broths containing safe glycolipids within the soil
remediation technologies (i.e., soil washing and biopile microcosm tests). It is noteworthy to
bear in mind that most soil washing technologies use chemical surfactants, which are toxic to
the soil, plants, and non-biodegradable. To overcome such and other disadvantages, in this
research, the rhamnolipid-containing cell-free broths from the strain E264 have been used to
wash real diesel contaminated soils and artificially PAHs. The results have revealed that
hydrocarbon-remobilization reaches up to 80% at a concentration of contamination higher than
6000 ppm. Furthermore, the total petroleum hydrocarbons TPHs were monitored in the
microcosm biopile over a prolonged period of up the 50 days of incubation. The findings
revealed major traits regarding the applications of these glycolipids on contaminated soils,
suggesting the suitable biosurfactant concentrations that could be applied in the future.

To summarise, the results highlighted nonfermented grape marcs and olive pomace residues,
derived from the white winemaking process and olive oil extraction, respectively, could be
used as economical substrates to produce biosurfactants. It is in agreement with the CE
principles within the agricultural sector. Moreover, the non-pathogenic nature of the selected
organism and the RLs purity suggested using these biomolecules directly in industrial practices
and soil remediation methodologies.

Keywords: Bioremediation; Hydrocarbon; Oil spills; Biosurfactants

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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