Biooxidation of added and natural hydrocarbons in soils: Effect of iron

The decomposition of pure hydrocarbons in soils depends essentially on the intrinsic biological activity of the soils. Seasonal variations were observed, but other environmental factors, such as acidity, were more important. In non-acid soils, the structure of the hydrocarbons was secondary, whereas...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Soil biology & biochemistry 1981, Vol.13 (5), p.335-342
Main Authors: Moucawi, J., Fustec, Eliane, Jambu, P., Amblfs, A., Jacquesy, Rose
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
fertilizers
soil chemistry
soil fertility
soil physics
soil science
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Summary:The decomposition of pure hydrocarbons in soils depends essentially on the intrinsic biological activity of the soils. Seasonal variations were observed, but other environmental factors, such as acidity, were more important. In non-acid soils, the structure of the hydrocarbons was secondary, whereas in acid soils, the rate of decomposition was much slower and depended on their chain length. The difference was reflected, in characteristic soils, in the natural distribution of the hydrocarbons, which originate predominantly from plant decay. Two acid soils, supplemented with ferric hydroxide, were incubated for 16 weeks at 28°C and their hydrocarbon fraction analyzed. Iron enrichment did not lead to complete biodegradation but rather to stimulation of the biooxidation of unbound hydrocarbons and to disppearance of the chain length discrimination. Conversely, the bound alkanes were stable towards microbial activity, with only the amounts of short chain hydrocarbons being slightly reduced.
ISSN:0038-0717
1879-3428
DOI:10.1016/0038-0717(81)90073-0