Abstract
Remediation programmes are considered complete when human risk-based criteria are met. These targets are unrelated to the ecological parameters that may be important with regard to future soil uses. As a consequence, there has been a move towards the consideration of biological indicators for hazard assessment in conjunction with the remediation of contaminated soils. This study uses a range of biological assays to assess the ecological health of soils from a former gas works site undergoing various remediation treatments. The indicators that optimally differentiated the extent of soil remediation were biomass-C, respiration, dehydrogenase activity, earthworm toxicity and mustard seed germination. Although they had different end-points, once robust and sensitive biological indicators were incorporated into a quantitative soil quality index, they gave a clearer representation of ecological health than chemical data alone by their integration of contamination effects at a number of trophic levels.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 164-177 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Soil Biology and Biochemistry |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 14 Aug 2006 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2007 |
Keywords
- hydrocarbons
- biological indicators
- remediation
- soil quality index
- polycyclic aromatic-hydrocarbons
- direct extraction method
- microbial biomass-C
- contaminated soil
- heavy-metals
- biochemical-properties
- ecotoxicity assessment
- catabolic diversity
- forest soils
- diesel fuel
Cite this
Application of biological indicators to assess recovery of hydrocarbon impacted soils. / Dawson, Julian James Charles; Godsiffe, E. J.; Thompson, I. P.; Ralebitso-Senior, T. K.; Killham, Kenneth Stuart; Paton, Graeme Iain.
In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 39, No. 1, 01.2007, p. 164-177.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Application of biological indicators to assess recovery of hydrocarbon impacted soils
AU - Dawson, Julian James Charles
AU - Godsiffe, E. J.
AU - Thompson, I. P.
AU - Ralebitso-Senior, T. K.
AU - Killham, Kenneth Stuart
AU - Paton, Graeme Iain
PY - 2007/1
Y1 - 2007/1
N2 - Remediation programmes are considered complete when human risk-based criteria are met. These targets are unrelated to the ecological parameters that may be important with regard to future soil uses. As a consequence, there has been a move towards the consideration of biological indicators for hazard assessment in conjunction with the remediation of contaminated soils. This study uses a range of biological assays to assess the ecological health of soils from a former gas works site undergoing various remediation treatments. The indicators that optimally differentiated the extent of soil remediation were biomass-C, respiration, dehydrogenase activity, earthworm toxicity and mustard seed germination. Although they had different end-points, once robust and sensitive biological indicators were incorporated into a quantitative soil quality index, they gave a clearer representation of ecological health than chemical data alone by their integration of contamination effects at a number of trophic levels.
AB - Remediation programmes are considered complete when human risk-based criteria are met. These targets are unrelated to the ecological parameters that may be important with regard to future soil uses. As a consequence, there has been a move towards the consideration of biological indicators for hazard assessment in conjunction with the remediation of contaminated soils. This study uses a range of biological assays to assess the ecological health of soils from a former gas works site undergoing various remediation treatments. The indicators that optimally differentiated the extent of soil remediation were biomass-C, respiration, dehydrogenase activity, earthworm toxicity and mustard seed germination. Although they had different end-points, once robust and sensitive biological indicators were incorporated into a quantitative soil quality index, they gave a clearer representation of ecological health than chemical data alone by their integration of contamination effects at a number of trophic levels.
KW - hydrocarbons
KW - biological indicators
KW - remediation
KW - soil quality index
KW - polycyclic aromatic-hydrocarbons
KW - direct extraction method
KW - microbial biomass-C
KW - contaminated soil
KW - heavy-metals
KW - biochemical-properties
KW - ecotoxicity assessment
KW - catabolic diversity
KW - forest soils
KW - diesel fuel
U2 - 10.1016/J.SOILBIO.2006.06.020
DO - 10.1016/J.SOILBIO.2006.06.020
M3 - Article
VL - 39
SP - 164
EP - 177
JO - Soil Biology and Biochemistry
JF - Soil Biology and Biochemistry
SN - 0038-0717
IS - 1
ER -