Jg. Xu et al., PORE STRUCTURES OF OIL-CONTAMINATED, AGGREGATED OIL-CONTAMINATED AND UNCONTAMINATED SOILS IN RELATION TO MICROBIAL ACTIVITIES, Environmental technology, 16(6), 1995, pp. 587-594
Soil pore structure is one of the most important characteristics which
influence the biodegradation of hydrocarbons in soil. The objective o
f this study was to quantify and compare the inter- and intra-aggregat
e pore structures of oil-contaminated, aggregated oil-contaminated and
uncontaminated soils and their effects on microbial biomass and activ
ities. The inter-aggregate and intra-aggregate porosity of the untreat
ed oil-contaminated soil was less than that of the uncontaminated soil
indicating the oil-contaminated soil was more compacted, which reduce
d the microbial activity. The microbial biomass and activity in the ag
gregated oil-contaminated soil was greater than in the untreated oil-c
ontaminated soil indicating the aggregation process improved the physi
cal environment for microorganisms and enhanced the biodegradation of
hydrocarbons in soil.