British Columbia Mine Reclamation Symposium

The use of commercially-produced enzymes or organic amendments to degrade oil in contaminated soils Yeung, Paul Y.; Johnson, Richard L.

Abstract

Commercially-produced enzymes were not effective in degrading oil in contaminated soil over a six month incubation period. The incorporation of barley straw (1.0% by weight) led to a 41% decrease in oil content in the heavily contaminated (74 mg/g of oil) Lagoon soil and a 38% reduction in the less contaminated (16 mg/g of oil) Herald soil over the same time. Barley straw added at 2% by weight reduced oil content by 21% in the Lagoon soil and 34% in the Herald soil. Sugar beet pulp incorporated at 2% by weight was nearly as effective as the 10% straw treatment in degrading oil in both the Lagoon and the Herald soils. Soil water repellency was reduced immediately by the enzyme treatment and in two months by the 10% straw amendment. Subsequently, water repellency returned and was particularly severe in the 10% straw treatment.

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