The Usability of Sorbents in Restoring Enzymatic Activity in Soils Polluted with Petroleum-Derived Products

Abstract

Due to their ability to adsorb or absorb chemical pollutants, including organic compounds, sorbents are increasingly used in the reclamation of soils subjected to their pressure, which results from their high potential in eliminating xenobiotics. The precise optimization of the reclamation process is required, focused primarily on restoring the condition of the soil. This research are essential for seeking materials sufficiently potent to accelerate the remediation process and for expanding knowledge related to biochemical transformations that lead to the neutralization of these pollutants. The goal of this study was to determine and compare the sensitivity of soil enzymes to petroleum-derived products in soil sown with Zea mays, remediated using four sorbents. The study was conducted in a pot experiment, with loamy sand (LS) and sandy loam (SL) polluted with VERVA diesel oil (DO) and VERVA 98 petrol (P). Soil samples were collected from arable lands, and the effects of the tested pollutants were compared with those used as control uncontaminated soil samples in terms of Zea mays biomass and the activity of seven enzymes in the soil. The following sorbents were applied to mitigate DO and P effects on the test plants and enzymatic activity: molecular sieve (M), expanded clay (E), sepiolite (S), and Ikasorb (I). Both DO and P exerted a toxic effect on Zea mays, with DO more strongly disturbing its growth and development and the activities of soil enzymes than P. In sandy clay (SL), P was found to be a significant inhibitor of dehydrogenases (Deh), catalase (Cat), urease (Ure), alkaline phosphatase (Pal), and arylsulfatase (Aryl) activities, while DO stimulated the activity of all enzymes in this soil. The study results suggest that the sorbents tested, mainlya molecular sieve, may be useful in remediating DO-polluted soils, especially when alleviating the effects of these pollutants in soils of lower agronomic value.

Soil Enzyme Response and Calorific Value of Zea mays Used for the Phytoremediation of Soils Contaminated with Diesel Oil

“…Different results were reported by Gospodarek et al [38], who observed that soil contamination with diesel oil strongly inhibited dehydrogenase and urease activity, with little effect on acid and alkaline phosphatase activity. These results are difficult to dispute, as the degree of biodegradation activity of petroleum-derived substances depends, among other factors, on microbial activity, nutrient availability, oxygen availability, temperature, pH, salinity, as well as the type and degree of pollution and time [36,[115][116][117][118].…”

“…The increased soil pH influenced the improvement of its biological activity, as highlighted by Mahmud and Chong [107]. Higher soil pH is responsible for breaking ionic and hydrogen bonds in the active center of dehydrogenases, an enzyme that indicates the intensity of respiratory metabolism in soil microorganisms [27,36,119]. According to Nannipieri et al [120], Mierzwa-Hersztek et al [121], and Piotrowska-Długosz et al [122], dehydrogenases are enzymes considered as indicators of soil biochemical and microbiological activity.…”

“…Soil enzymes respond rapidly to environmental changes, including contamination with diesel oil. Research by Borowik et al [35], Borowik et al [19], and Wyszkowska et al [36] indicate that diesel oil stimulates the activity of soil enzymes. Similar results were reported by Goma-Tchimbakala et al [37], who observed high activities of β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, and acid phosphatase in soils contaminated with diesel oil and gasoline.…”

“…Enzyme activity, together with other biological and chemical properties, can provide insights into the response of soils to disturbances caused by pollution. Assessing their levels can aid in evaluating the condition of the soil and the potential for restoring equilibrium [35,36,38,42,43]. Yang et al [43] suggest that enzymes from the oxidoreductase class are more sensitive to environmental changes than hydrolases.…”

Effect of Previous Crop on the Structure of Bacterial and Fungal Communities during the Growth of Vicia faba L. spp. minor

“…The following soil tests were carried out: granulometric composition with laser diffraction using Mastersizer 2000 analyzer (Malvern Instruments Ltd., Malvern, UK), pH using the potentiometric method in 1 mol KCl dm −3 , hydrolytic acidity and the sum of exchangeable base cations with titration, soil sorption capacity, degree of soil saturation with base cations, and organic carbon and total nitrogen contents using a Vario Max Cube CN device (Elementar Analysen systeme GmbH, Langenselbold, Germany). The methodology for the physical and chemical soil tests can be found in Wyszkowska et al [33].…”