Culture-based and culture-independent assessment of the impact of mixed and single plant treatments on rhizosphere microbial communities in hydrocarbon contaminated flare-pit soil

Phytoremediation is a novel treatment option for weathered, hydrocarbon contaminated, flare-pit soil in prairie ecosystems. The remediation potential of six different naturalized prairie plants was assessed by examining their impact on the degradation potential of indigenous bacterial communities. Culture-based and culture-independent microbiological methods were used to determine if mixed plant treatments stimulate different microbial communities and catabolic genotypes in comparison to individual plant species that comprise the mix. DGGE analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes revealed that alfalfa (Medicago sativa) had a dominant effect on the structure of rhizosphere microbial communities in mixed plant treatments, stimulating relative increases in specific Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria populations. Alfalfa and mixes containing alfalfa, while supporting 100 times more culturable PAH degraders than other treatments, exhibited only 10% TPH reduction, less than all planted treatments except perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne). Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) reduction was greatest in single-species grass treatments, with creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra) reducing the TPH concentration by 50% after 4.5 months. Overall TPH reduction throughout the study was positively correlated (p<0.001) to culturable n-hexadecane degraders.     

含油污泥的堆肥处理对微生物群落结构的影响

采用堆肥方法处理含油污泥,评价堆肥处理对含油污泥中石油烃的去除效果,并采用Biolog方法和构建16SrRNA基因克隆文库的方法对处理过程中微生物碳源利用特征和微生物群落结构进行了研究。结果表明,含油污泥经过90d的堆肥处理,石油烃降解率达53.3%±9.5%,显著高于对照处理。堆肥处理可以显著促进石油烃降解,是一种处理含油污泥的有效措施。Biolog分析结果表明,堆肥处理的孔的平均颜色变化率（AWCD）显著高于对照处理,堆肥处理提高了土壤微生物代谢活性。主成分分析结果表明,对照处理和堆肥处理的微生物碳源利用特征明显不同,堆肥处理改变了含油污泥中微生物的代谢功能特征。对照处理和堆肥处理的16SrRNA基因克隆文库之间存在显著差异,对照处理的优势类群是γ-Proteobacteria,堆肥处理的优势类群是Bacteroidetes,堆肥处理显著改变了含油污泥中的微生物群落结构。Marinobacter和Alcanivorax是对照处理中的优势菌,可能与石油烃的自然降解过程有关,而Pusillimonas和Agrobacterium可能对堆肥处理中石油烃的降解起一定作用。     

不同石油污染程度土壤细菌群落多样性及优势菌群分析

  目的  探究辽河油田不同石油污染程度土壤中理化性质及细菌群落多样性和组成的变化规律,并对石油污染土壤中的石油降解菌进行分离培养和鉴定。  方法  采集了辽河油田不同石油污染程度土壤,采用高通量测序技术和化学分析法对土壤细菌群落组成和土壤理化性质进行测定,并进一步筛选出石油降解菌株。  结果  在出油口（A）、距离出油口50 m（B）和距离出油口150 m（C）采集的三个土壤样品,其土壤总石油烃含量分别为2467.44 mg kg?1、884.99 mg kg?1和141.63 mg kg?1,三个土壤样品具有不同的石油污染程度。石油污染显著提高了土壤总有机碳含量,土壤总石油烃含量与总有机碳含量呈现正相关（P < 0.001）。土壤细菌群落多样性和丰富度指数与土壤石油烃的浓度呈显著负相关（P < 0.01）。不同石油污染程度土壤具有不同的细菌群落组成和结构,土壤石油烃含量是影响细菌群落变化的主要因素。出油口石油污染土壤样品（A）中,变形菌门（Proteobacteria）为优势菌门,假单胞菌属（Pseudomonas）、假黄单胞菌属（Pseudoxanthomonas）、博代氏杆菌属（Bordetella）和伯克氏菌属（Burkholderia）为优势菌属。从出油口石油污染土壤（A）中分离出3株石油降解菌株,通过16S rRNA基因测序分别被鉴定为Pseudomonas baetica、黄褐假单胞菌（Pseudomonas fulva）和施氏假单胞菌（Pseudomonas stutzeri）,其石油降解率分别为37.2%、46.9%和57.8%。此结果与A样品高通量测序属水平组成分析相吻合,表明石油污染能够选择性富集土壤中具有石油降解能力的假单胞菌属。  结论  石油污染提高了土壤总有机碳含量,降低了土壤细菌群落多样性,富集了具有烃类降解能力的优势菌属,是造成土壤细菌群落组成和结构改变的主要因素,并筛选出具有潜在开发应用价值的石油降解假单胞菌株。     

Oil residuals in lowland forest soil after pollution with crude oil

Research on oil residuals in lowland forest soil was carried out in 6 sample plots in the lowland forest ecosystem located in an oil field. Four plots were differently affected in terms of discharged oil and the time lapsed after the accident, as well as in terms of micro-relief terrain features. One plot was established in a reclaimed mud ditch site, while the control plot was set up in a micro-relief elevation outside the influence of oil pollution. Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations were measured at three soil depths at the beginning and the end of the vegetation period. The analysis of the results revealed significant differences in petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations among the sites. Increased TPH concentrations were recorded in several plots, while the values measured in some other plots indicated very low quantities of residual TPH in the soil. The highest average TPH concentrations (200–400 mg kg¹) were recorded in the mud ditch site. In one of the plots exposed to oil pollution after an oil pipe rupture, there was the constant presence of increased TPH concentration in the surface soil part (≥200 mg kg¹ on average). The sporadic presence of increased TPH concentrations in micro-depressions that cannot be attributed to a local accident indicates seasonal soil pollution with petroleum carbohydrates from floodwater. The soil in the sample plots is not contaminated with soluble salts or heavy metals. Low values of TPH concentrations in the soil water eluate indicate that the soil does not represent a source of hydrospheric pollution with petrol hydrocarbons.     

Selection of Leguminous Trees Associated with Symbiont Microorganisms for Phytoremediation of Petroleum-Contaminated Soil

Leguminous trees have a potential for phytoremediation of oil-contaminated areas for its symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). This study selects leguminous tree associated with symbiotic microorganisms that have the potential to remediate petroleum-contaminated soil. Seven species of trees were tested: Acacia angustissima, Acacia auriculiformis, Acacia holosericea, Acacia mangium, Mimosa artemisiana, Mimosa caesalpiniifolia, and Samanea saman. They were inoculated with AMF mix and nitrogen-fixing bacteria mix and cultivated over five oil levels in soils, with five replicates. The decreasing of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) values occurred especially with S. saman and its symbiotic microorganisms on highest oil soil contamination. Despite the large growth of A. angustissima and M. caesalpiniifolia on the highest level of oil, these species and its inoculated microorganisms did not reduce the soil TPH. Both plants were hydrocarbon tolerant but not able to remediate the polluted soil. In contrast were significative hydrocarbon decrease with M. artemisiana under high oil concentrations, but plant growth was severely affected. Results suggest that the ability of the plants to decrease the soil concentration of TPH is not directly related to its growth and adaptation to conditions of contamination, but the success of the association between plants and its symbionts that seem to play a critical role on remediation efficiency.     

Changes in Hydrocarbon Composition and Autochthonous Microorganism Growth of Contaminated Mining Soil During Bioremediation

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of high Tween 80 concentrations on hydrocarbon contaminants and hydrocarbonoclastic microorganisms present in contaminated mining soil during a bioremediation process. The independent variables included Tween 80 concentration and process time. The elected response variables included concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), the chemical composition of contaminants, viable microbial count, and CO₂ production. These were measured at various time points during the bioremediation process, which was conducted at room temperature. Higher removal of pollutants occurred at low Tween 80 concentrations. An analysis of the normalized variables shows that the rate of TPH degradation depended on microbial growth rate, which depended on Tween 80 concentration. The addition of Tween 80 changed the concentration and type of the residual hydrocarbon contaminants present, as well as the count and genus of the hydrocarbonoclastic microorganisms that grew during the bioremediation process. Higher concentrations of Tween 80 increased the levels of the chemical compounds present in the bioremediated soil while reducing the viable count and microbial diversity during the bioremediation process. Conversely, low Tween 80 concentrations produced only monoethylhexyl phthalate, which is not a petroleum hydrocarbon derivative. Overall, these results prove that the removal of TPH is dependent on the count and genus of active indigenous hydrocarbonoclastic microorganisms in soil, and these conditions may be controlled by modulating the concentration of Tween 80 that is applied.     

Distribution of traffic-related contaminants in urban topsoils across a highway in Moscow

Purpose

The objective of this research is to find out the spatial distribution of different traffic-related contaminants in urban topsoils across a highway (125,000 vehicles per day) in the city of Moscow, Russia.

Materials and methods

The topsoils (0–3 cm depth) were sampled 1, 6, 10, 18, and 50 m perpendicular to the roadbed in three replicates 10 m apart. We analyzed total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), heavy metals in total and phyto-available forms (HM; Cu, Zn, and Pb), and deicing salts (DS; Cl^?). The TPH were extracted with carbon tetrachloride and detected by spectrometry and PAH were extracted with methylene chloride, separated by high-performance liquid chromatography, and determined by fluorescence detector. Total HM were extracted by microwave acid digestion with aqua regia and phyto-available forms were extracted by NH₄OAc and determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The DS were analyzed using an ion liquid chromatograph with a conductometric detector.

Results and discussion

Heavy soil pollution was found within 1–6 m of the road. The TPH, B[a]P, and phyto-available HM concentrations exceeded permissible levels for Russia, while total HM and DS did not. The contaminant contents sharply decreased 10 m from the road. Within 10–50 m, they reached background levels, while PAH levels were elevated. We attribute this to the greater age of soils at 10–50 m than 1–6 m from the road. The different contaminant distribution patterns are attributed to their different transportation pathways: TPH, DS, and HM generally reach soils through road spray, splashes, melting snow moved from the road surface to roadsides, and aerosol sedimentation, whereas PAH are mainly transported as airborne particles and are thus able to reach more distant locations.

Conclusions

Traffic-related soil pollution creates ecotoxicological and human-health risks. Distribution patterns vary by type of soil contaminant. The influence of the road on soil contamination was greatest within 10 m from the roadbed for TPH, HM, and DS and within 50 m for PAH. The increased PAH concentration levels with increased distance from the road highlights the importance of PAH monitoring in roadside soils.

     

Geochemical Characterization of Organic Pollutants in Effluents Discharged from Various Industrial Sources to Riverine Systems

The detailed characterization of the organic composition of industrial effluents discharged from various industrial branches and the distribution of the emitted pollutants in the surface waters in North Rhine-Westphalia have been done with the use of non-target screening analyses. Based on the characterization of molecular structures of wastewater constituents, their quantification as well as the available information on their origin and industrial applications, the identification of typical organic representatives for petrochemical and food effluents has been performed. Among a wide range of hydrocarbons detected in the petrochemical effluents, several novel organic wastewater constituents have been found for the first time. In the effluents from paper production plant, potential industrial indicators were distinguished, such as resin acids (abietic and dehydroabietic acids) and photoinitiators (Irgacure 184). The monitoring of the behaviour of certain environmentally relevant and newly described pollutants in the contaminated river systems allowed the identification of several industrial site-specific markers. Particularly, 2-(chloromethyl)-1,3-dioxolane, an unknown contaminant, exclusively found in the effluents from a chemical production complex, was present in the river under discharge at high concentrations downstream the contamination source. The comprehensive and detailed evaluation of the anthropogenic markers in the industrial effluents is a promising tool for the environmental assessment of industrial emissions, especially if accompanied with toxicological and ecotoxicological investigations of novel environmental contaminants.     

Bioremediation of soil contaminated by hydrocarbons with the combination of three technologies: bioaugmentation,phytoremediation, and vermiremediation

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The aim of this study was to evaluate the removal of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Using phytoremediation...     

Assessing the Potential of Organic Solvents on Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Extraction from Diesel-Contaminated Soils

The total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) extraction potential of organic solvents including dichloromethane (DCM), pentane, hexane, methanol, ethanol, propanol, and acetone was investigated along with the effect of water content in solvents for their efficiency of extraction. The extent of TPH extraction was analyzed using various extraction schemes (i.e., solvent/solid ratio, treatment time, extraction method, solvent/water ratio) to better understand the physical and chemical factors controlling TPH release from contaminated soils. More TPH was extracted with increasing solvent/solid ratio and increasing time. The extent of TPH extracted also varied depending on the extraction method, solvent type, and solvent/water ratio, but was highest when using the total extraction method and 100% DCM. However, the efficiency of TPH extraction decreased dramatically with the increase in the water content in organic solvents. The results also showed that TPH extraction using DCM was the best option for achieving cost-effective, eco-friendly outcomes along with remediation goals. DCM used in solvent extraction to remediate diesel-contaminated soils showed low toxicity, low cost, high recycling potential, and high efficiency compared to the other solvents tested in this study.     

Restoration of the Rivers in Israel's Coastal Plain

Israel's chronic water shortage has aggravated problems of river pollution, as almost no dilution of inadequately treated wastewater takes place. Since the early 1990s, large investments were made to build new wastewater treatment plants, designed to produce effluents of secondary quality or better. Consequently, it became of interest to examine the possibility of using tertiary treated effluents as a water source for rehabilitation of aquatic habitats. A survey of water quality in clean and polluted segments of Israel's coastal rivers was initiated, including analyses of riverbed sediments. Although many segments are still heavily polluted, there are examples of measurable improvement in water quality, which should lead to better sediment quality. It is argued that sediments serve both as a memory bank of past pollution events and as an ongoing source of anaerobic and toxic compounds, such as sulfides and ammonium compounds. Their chemical compositions are, therefore, of much importance for river restoration processes and monitoring.     

堆肥法处理含油污泥的研究

通过添加稻草和有机肥对含油污泥进行了115 d的堆肥处理,动态监测了堆制过程中总石油烃含量、温度、C/N/P比例及功能微生物数量变化,测定了堆制前后石油组分和生物毒性,探讨了堆肥法处理降解油泥的效果。结果表明,堆肥处理后油泥中的总石油烃含量从123±1 g kg-1降低至71.7±0.7 g kg-1,降解率达42%,是未堆肥对照处理的2.5倍;堆体在第21天达到最高温度50℃;堆肥处理的C/N/P比例变化呈现下降趋势;堆肥过程中油泥中烃降解菌和芳烃降解菌与堆制前比较增加了近2个数量级。此外,含油污泥经堆肥法处理后生物毒性降低,EC50从1.77±0.28 mg m l-1提高至2.76±0.38 mg m l-1。     

PAH and PCB removal efficiencies in Umeå (Sweden) and Šiauliai (Lithuania) municipal wastewater treatment plants

Dissolved concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the influents and effluents of two municipal sewage treatment plants (STPs) were monitored over 16- (Umeå, Sweden) and 22- (?iauliai, Lithuania) day sampling periods. Sampling was performed using a passive sampling technique (semipermeable membrane devices; SPMDs) for sequestration of the dissolved (readily bioavailable) fraction of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Removal efficiencies for individual low molecular weight (LMW) PAH compounds varied from 84% to levels at which the compounds were not detected in effluents from Umeå. The corresponding efficiencies of the ?iauliai plant were 33–95%. Measurements revealed that dissolved concentrations of most of the PCBs and some of the high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs increased during the conventional wastewater treatment at both plants. The release of dissolved PAHs and PCBs in the effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants might increase the environmental contamination by readily bioavailable pollutants in the recipient waters; the rivers Umeälven and Kulpè. SPMDs were found to be suitable sampling tools for long-term (weeks-month) integrative monitoring of trace concentrations of the dissolved fraction of hydrophobic pollutants in the wastewater process, since the sampling and clean-up steps were easy to perform.     

Bioaugmentation and biostimulation effects on PAH dissipation and soil ecotoxicity under controlled conditions

The degradation of spiked anthracene (ANT), pyrene (PYR) and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in soil (3000 mg ∑ 3 PAHs kg⁻¹ dry soil) was studied in aerobically incubated microcosms for 120 d. The applied treatments aimed at enhancing PAH removal from the heavily contaminated soils are: (i) bioaugmentation by adding aged PAH-contaminated soil (ACS) containing activated indigenous degraders; and (ii) combined bioaugmentation/biostimulation by incorporating sewage sludge compost (SSC) and decaying rice straw (DRS). The adopted treatments produced higher PAH dissipation rates than those observed in unamended PAH-spiked soils, especially for ANT and PYR in the presence of DRS or ACS (>96%). However, B[a]P was the most recalcitrant hydrocarbon to biodegradation. Extracellular enzyme investigation revealed the existence of ligninolytic activities in all soil treatments, including control but no relationship could be found with PAH dissipation. The ecotoxicological assessment indicated that regardless of applied treatment, PAH-spiked soils were chronically lethal to ostracod Heterocypris incongruens and confirmed the sensitivity of the microcrustacean to the concomitant presence of these three hydrocarbons. Lettuce root elongation inhibition was correlated with PAH level but the presence of SSC conferred a strong phytotoxic capacity to PAH-spiked soils. DRS amendment may constitute a cost-effective alternative for hydrocarbon bioremediation as it has impacted positively on soil microbial activity and enhanced PAH removal with no apparent changes in soil physico-chemical properties.     

Optimization of Landfarming Amendments Based on Soil Texture and Crude Oil Concentration

This work examines the rates of bioremediation during a landfarming process. A field study was performed using three types of soil, which were contaminated with two different hydrocarbon concentrations: 20,000 and 50,000 ppm of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). They were subjected to landfarming under the action of different treatments, based on the provision of irrigation, aeration by rototilling, fertilizer, and surfactant. The biodegradation of TPH, considering concentration and families of hydrocarbon compounds (including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs), was precisely measured for a period of 486 days. The results show how biodegradation rates depend on soil texture, initial contamination level, and type of amendment. Thus, the combination of fertilizer, irrigation, and aeration was the best treatment for treating the soil contaminated with 20,000 ppm of TPH (TPH final concentrations were reduced to a range of 49 to 62% depending on the soil texture). In the case of parcels contaminated with 50,000 ppm of TPH, the most effective treatment combined the supply of fertilizer, surfactant, irrigation, and aeration (TPH final concentrations were reduced to a range of 47 to 63%, depending on the soil texture). The best biodegradation results are obtained for soils with coarser textures and using the treatment with fertilizer, irrigation, and aeration. In addition, the application of surfactant did not imply a significant improvement in the level of biodegradation of hydrocarbons in soil contaminated with 20,000 ppm of TPH, whereas in soils contaminated with 50,000 ppm of TPH, it played a leading role.

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Graphical Abstract ?

     

Heritability of Phytoremediation Potential for the Alfalfa CultivarRiley in Petroleum Contaminated Soil

Petroleum contamination poses a significant threat to environmental ecosystems world-wide. Phytoremediation can be used to enhance degradation of petroleum contaminants in soil. However, selection of plants for phytoremediation has proven to be complicated. This research examines the heritability of the alfalfa cultivar Riley for phytoremediation based on parental total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) degradation after twelve months of growth. Traits other than degradation potential, such as root and shoot yield, height, and maturity, were examined for use as selection traits. Riley showed moderate to low heritability that suggests the possibility of breeding for phytoremediation efficiency. In addition, root and shoot yield were found to correlate to TPH degradation. Crosses in which the female parent was typically associated with low TPH dissipation yielded progeny that were high efficiency TPH degraders.     

Effectiveness of Bioremediation Processes of Hydrocarbon Pollutants in Weathered Drill Wastes

The aim of this article is to present the problem of purification of 50-year-old weathered wastes (soil) from waste pits—the result of oil drilling. The soil was deeply contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons—total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) level: 85,654–101,842 mg kg dry mass. This work presents results of waste pit material purification with the use of stage technology: initial reclamation, basic bioremediation, and bioaugmentation (inoculation with indigenous microorganisms). The whole process was controlled with the use of gas chromatography/flame ionization detector. This analytical method enables observation of alternation in n-alkanes content during the consecutive stages of purification. According to this method, estimation of oil hydrocarbon biodegradation degree with the use of n-C₁₇/Pr and n-C₁₈/F indicators can be done. The use of biomarker C₃₀-17α(H)21β(H)-hopane to normalize the TPH concentration in laboratory research enabled the creation of the first-order mathematical model of biodegradation. It is possible to recognize the dynamics of the following purification stages due to the calculated first-order biodegradation constants. Decrease in the TPH content (63.8–65.1%) was a result of laboratory tests led in 130 days of basic bioremediation. The next stage of soil purification (130 days) included inoculation with biopreparation based on indigenous microorganisms—TPH decrease in 80.7–81.7%. Laboratory tests results enabled elaboration of purification methods applied in tested waste pits in industrial conditions (in situ). The technology of the G-44 and G-12 waste pits purification from huge petroleum hydrocarbons content, consisting of stage purification process, enables the TPH decrease to the satisfactory level in 3 years.     

Changes in Microbial Functional Diversity and Activity in Paddy Soils Irrigated with Industrial Wastewaters in Bandung, West Java Province, Indonesia

Characteristics, such as microbial biomass, basal respiration, and functional diversity of the microbial communities, were investigated in paddy soils located in Bandung, West Java Province, Indonesia, that have been heavily polluted by industrial effluents for 31 years. Paddy soil samples (10?C20 cm) were taken from two sites: polluted soils and unpolluted soils (as control sites). The polluted soils contained higher salinity, higher sodicity, higher nutrient contents, and elevated levels of heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Zn) than unpolluted soils. Soil physicochemical properties, such as maximum water holding capacity, exchangeable sodium percentage, sodium adsorption ratio, and swelling factor, in polluted soils were much greater than those in unpolluted soils (P?<?0.05). Changes in the physical and chemical soil properties were reflected by changes in the microbial communities and their activities. BIOLOG analysis indicated that the functional diversity of the microbial community of polluted soils increased and differed from that of unpolluted soils. Likewise, the average rate of color development (average well color development), microbial biomass (measured as DNA concentration), and the soil CO₂ respiration were higher in polluted soils. These results indicate that major changes in the chemical and physical properties of paddy soils following the application of industrial wastewater effluents have had lasting impacts on the microbial communities of these soils. Thus, the increased activity, biomass, and functional diversity of the microbial communities in polluted soils with elevated salinity, sodicity, and heavy metal contents may be a key factor in enhancing the bioremediation process of these heavily polluted paddy soils.     

Rhizosphere effects on soil bacterial abundance and diversity in the Yellow River Deltaic ecosystem as influenced by petroleum contamination and soil salinization

In this study, we compared the differences of bacterial abundance and diversity between rhizosphere and surrounding bulk soils under soil salinization and petroleum contamination in the Yellow River Delta on a 110-km-distance scale. In comparison with bulk soils, rhizosphere soils were mainly characterized by lower salinity and higher water content in saline soils. For bacterial abundance, the numbers of total bacteria and hydrocarbon degraders were significantly higher in rhizosphere soils than those in bulk soils. Although there was no significant difference in total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentration between the two types of soils, TPH had distinctly different effects on bacterial abundance in rhizosphere and bulk soils. TPH concentration was the major determinant of total bacterial abundance and had positive effects on abundances of hydrocarbon degraders. However, the abundances of total bacteria and hydrocarbon degraders in bulk soils were primarily determined by soil salinity and water content. Great abundance of rhizosphere bacteria suggested that plant roots could alleviate the stresses from soil salinization and provide more favorable microhabitats for bacterial growth. TPH had positive effects on bacterial diversity of both rhizosphere and bulk soils. Our results support the view that petroleum in the environments functions as both toxic chemicals and carbon sources to soil bacteria. Great abundance and diversity of total bacteria in plant rhizospheres would potentially improve the roles of bacteria in maintaining ecosystem functioning in the degraded ecosystems. Our results would improve our understanding of the relationships between rhizosphere effects and multiple environmental stresses that control the development of bacterial community in fragile anthropologically-affected ecosystems.     

A Comparison of Spectrophotometric and Gas Chromatographic Measurements of Heavy Petroleum Products in Soil Samples

Laboratory studies were conducted to compare the infrared spectrophotometry (TPH-IR) and gas chromatography (TPH-GC) measurements of total petroleum hydrocarbon in soil samples.Real world soil samples containing #2 to #6 fuel oils, mechanical lubricating oil, diesel fuel, kerosene, jet fuel andweathered gasoline were extracted with trichlorotrifluoroethane(Freon-113) and methylene chloride. The extractants were analyzed using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and infrared spectroscopy (TPH-IR) methods.A paired statistical t-test was applied to compare the average of paired differences in the analytical results. Statistical tests were evaluated with graphical presentation of the results. In general, a trend was observed in the measured concentrations.Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations measured withTPH-IR had the highest readings. The same samples extracted withmethylene chloride and analyzed with GC-FID showed lower concentrations than the TPH-IR method while the GC-FID analysisof the same samples extracted with Freon-113 produced the lowestconcentrations. Laboratory experiments indicated that TPH concentrations measured with the TPH-IR method were higher thanthe actual quantities of petroleum hydrocarbon in the soil samples.