Contaminated Soil

Environment contaminated with petroleum or its product is the major global concern today and leads to a serious hazards to living bodies therefore some remedial methods are required to cure it. Bioremediation is considered as one of the best technology for the treatment of petroleum contaminated soil. In order to make Bioremediation technology successful and efficient it is necessary to assess various physico-chemical parameters of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbon. All the parameters play important role in bioremediation of petroleum contaminated soil. Present study was conducted to determine various physico- chemical parameters such as soil colour, soil texture, pH, Moisture content, Electrical conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Carbonate and Bicarbonate content, Chloride content, Sodium and Potassium content, Organic carbon, Organic matter, Nitrogen and Phosphorous content of the soil samples collected from Jaipur-Ajmer (Semi-arid) and Barmer (arid) regions of Rajasthan (India). Physico-chemical analysis of contaminated soil was performed by using standard analytical methods. The physico-chemical properties of soils alter due to petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. The petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil samples exhibited relatively lower pH value, moisture content, carbonate content, bicarbonate content and higher electrical conductivity, TDS value, available sodium concentration, available potassium concentration, organic carbon, organic matter content, available nitrogen content, available phosphorous content, chloride content as compared to uncontaminated soil sample (control).

Today environment change drastically due to human activity. Out of all the ecosystems terrestrial and marine ecosystems are affected majorly. Petroleum contaminated soil samples were collected Oil Garage station of Mumbai (Coastal area). Normal soil and Petroleum contaminated soil samples were physico- chemically characterized. Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons were separated by Colum Chromatography and it was analyzed by Gas Chromatography and Mass spectroscopy. Microorganisms were isolated by enrichment culture technique. 1%v/v 4T engine oil was used as a carbons source. These petroleum hydrocarbons degrading microorganisms were morphologically and biochemically also characterized.