Investigation of the physical and chemical parameters affecting biodegradation of diesel and synthetic diesel fuel contaminating Alaskan soils

On-site and in situ remediation technologies applicable to petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated sites in the Antarctic and Arctic

“…Results at 68C indicate B5% mineralization of diesel fuel while synthetic diesel reported consistent degradation across a four-week study (Horel & Schiewer 2009). Furthermore, biodegradation of synthetic diesel was accelerated by 50% following nutrient addition over unamended soils spiked with synthetic diesel (Horel & Schiewer 2009). …”

“…Through assessment across various soil types, nutrient treatments and temperature regimes (including freezeÁthaw), respiratory quotient values proved to be feasible for tracking the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in cold climates (Chang & Ghoshal 2014). Similarly respirometry, accompanied by TPH analyses, also assisted in the investigation of comparative biodegradation rates of diesel and synthetic diesel in Alaskan soils (Horel & Schiewer 2009). Results at 68C indicate B5% mineralization of diesel fuel while synthetic diesel reported consistent degradation across a four-week study (Horel & Schiewer 2009).…”

“…Similarly respirometry, accompanied by TPH analyses, also assisted in the investigation of comparative biodegradation rates of diesel and synthetic diesel in Alaskan soils (Horel & Schiewer 2009). Results at 68C indicate B5% mineralization of diesel fuel while synthetic diesel reported consistent degradation across a four-week study (Horel & Schiewer 2009). Furthermore, biodegradation of synthetic diesel was accelerated by 50% following nutrient addition over unamended soils spiked with synthetic diesel (Horel & Schiewer 2009).…”

Effects of Land Use and Management on SoilHydraulic Properties

“…The soil water retention curve shapes in the study indicated that the soil, which has not been periodically tilled, contained larger fractions of large capillary pores (pores corresponding to a matrix potential range of −0.2 and 7 kPa) [50]. These pores play key role in water retention [51], soil aeration [52], transport processes [53], plant nutrients distribution [54] and organism activity [40,55,56]. In general, land management has been shown to impact both macropores and matrix pores in the tilled layer, while the grassland soil indicated well reestablished stable soil structure with favorable soil hydraulic properties with higher porosity and soil water retention, higher fraction of large capillary pores, and lower fraction of gravitational pores [50,57].…”

“…The coarse textured soils, such as sand, retain less water compared to finer textured ones, containing high amounts of clay or silt [10,40]. Structural changes in soil properties can be expressed by changes in soil bulk density, total porosity, macroporosity, pore-size distribution, etc.…”