TITLE:
Soil Quality Evaluation of Hydrocarbon Polluted Parcels
AUTHORS:
Margarita Teutli León, Marco Antonio Cruz Gómez, José Castillo Román, Andrés Sánchez
KEYWORDS:
Soil Quality, Hydrocarbon Pollution, Soil Unpolluted, Bioremediation, Natural Attenuation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.10 No.9,
September
9,
2022
ABSTRACT: For hydrocarbon polluted soils that underwent bioremediation it is
important to assess its condition after a period of time, but it is more useful
when there is an opportunity of comparison against an unpolluted soil and an
untreated polluted one. This paper provides a comparison of three adjacent
parcels, being the first clean, the second polluted and bioremediated, the
third polluted and left to natural attenuation. Study was conducted determining
pH, electrical conductivity, carbonates, soil organic matter, chemical oxygen
demand, eight anions, and twelve metals. Data were compared against those
references for agricultural soils found in the Mexican NOM-021. A Pearson
correlation was applied to find coincidences between the three parcels,
obtained results allowed to say that bioremediated parcel allowed for most
uniform pH, negligible salinity risk, and medium content of soil organic
matter, but treatment has enabled heavy metal accumulation since its values are
higher in respect to the other parcels. Natural attenuated parcel has some
spots with lower pH, a moderately saline risk, a high content of soil organic
matter, and lower content of heavy metals.
The clean or unaffected parcel exhibit the higher pH values, a slightly
saline condition, soil organic matter ranges from high to very high content,
heavy metals content is medium, but no reaching dangerous levels. An important assessment is that
bioremediation has enhanced the bioavailability of soil organic matter
but it is not similar to the values in the unpolluted parcel.