Losses of Diesel Oil by Volatilisation and Effects of Diesel Oil on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth

Abstract

For phytoremediation to be effective, seeds must germinate and subsequently grow, or seedlings must become established, in contaminated soil. In this study, the effect of diesel oil on the viability of seeds of white clover and ryegrass together with long term abiotic diesel oil loss were investigated. Losses of diesel by volatilisation were found to be as high as 58% over 360 days suggesting that volatilisation (abiotic loss) may be a significant method of contaminant removal that may have been previously underestimated or overlooked in short term studies. White clover and ryegrass seeds were able to germinate in the presence of volatile diesel components and following 24 weeks immersion in diesel oil, which suggested that properties of their seed coats prevented diesel oil causing damage to the seeds.

Notice of Retraction: Diesel oil volatile loss and the moisture content of soil during drying

“…The conditions of oil-contaminated soils are more complex, oil volatilization relates to oils' properties, oil content, soils' particle size, moisture content, organic carbon content and environmental factors [5][6][7]. Moisture content is an important factor that control volatilization of organic contaminants in the subsurface.…”

Phytotoxicity of branched cyclohexanes found in the volatile fraction of diesel fuel on germination of selected grass species

“…Although short term phytotoxic effects of petroleum compounds on early seedling growth have been observed by other researchers (Hou et al, 1999, Kroening et al, 2001, to our knowledge, no one has shown that phytotoxic effects can be linked to a specific compound or group of compounds present in the volatile fraction of diesel fuel. Volatile hydrocarbons were shown to delay shoot/root emergence and have a detrimental effect on plant development with branched cyclohexanes shown to be successful at arresting growth in certain grass species.…”

Treatment of Wastewater With Slow Rate Systems: A Review of Treatment Processes and Plant Functions

“…In municipal effluents, trace organics consist primarily of low-molecular-weight and nonpolar organic substances whose high vapor pressure and low solubility in water make them especially conductive to volatilization . Losses of diesel fuel through volatilization were found to be as high as 58% over 360 days, suggesting that volatilization is an important pathway in the removal of PAH, a fact that is often overlooked in short-term studies (Kroening et al, 2001). In contrast, volatilization of phenols from a soil receiving olive mill wastewater was estimated at only 0.1% (Rana et al, 2003).…”