title: Natural attenuation of diesel aliphatic hydrocarbons in contaminated agricultural soil.
abstract: A diesel fuel spill at a concentration of 1 L m(-2) soil was simulated on a 12 m(2) plot of agricultural land, and natural attenuation of aliphatic hydrocarbons was monitored over a period of 400 days following the spill after which the aliphatic hydrocarbon concentrations were found to be below the legal contamination threshold for soil. The main fraction of these compounds (95%) remained at the surface layer (0-10 cm). Shortly after the spill (viz. between days 0 and 18), evaporation was the main origin of the dramatic decrease in pollutant concentrations in the soil. Thereafter, soil microorganisms used aliphatic hydrocarbons as sources of carbon and energy, as confirmed by the degradation ratios found. Soil quality indicators, soil microbial biomass and dehydrogenase activity, regained their original levels about 200 days after the spill.
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Campus of Rabanales, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallego
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tejada
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005742:Gasoline; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D013995:Time; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D005742:Gasoline; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants