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Coupled alkaline desorption and phytoremediation of oil-contaminated soil: a 10-year field study on hydrophobicity mitigation

delete2026-07-16
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V. I. Domínguez-Rodríguez
R
R. H. Adams *
DOI:10.1007/s13762-026-07358-zdelete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
A sandy, petroleum-contaminated soil had been bioremediated and contained only low levels of heavy hydrocarbons (< 3000 mg/kg) but was still severely water-repellent. This soil was treated by alkaline desorption (to remove weathered, amphiphilic, petroleum-like molecules from soil surfaces), plus organic amendment and phytoremediation (using the forage grass Brachiaria humidicola). Over a one-year cycle, field capacity, soil moisture and water-repellency were monitored. During this time, the ratio of In situ Moisture Content/Critical Moisture Content was restored to background levels. This indicated that it was very improbable that hydrophobicity would occur under field conditions, at least not to a degree greater than background. Ten years later, this was confirmed, during critical periods, at the beginning and end of the dry season. This verified that even in the driest part of the year, the field capacity in the treated soil was almost identical to the uncontaminated control (19.96 and 19.23%H, respectively), and the in situ vs critical moisture ratios were equivalent (0.909 vs 0.876 in the treated and uncontaminated control, respectively). Thus, this combination of alkaline desorption, organic amendment and phytoremediation was effective in overcoming the soil deterioration caused by the residual hydrocarbons. Furthermore, this treatment had a long-lasting effect, persisting for more than ten years post-treatment. Additionally, no adverse effects of the alkaline desorption treatment (such as excess salinity or alkalinity) were observed. This is a simple, low-cost method that could be applied in many tropical and subtropical areas with petroleum production, in which this kind of forage species can be cultivated.
Keywords:
Critical moisture
Water-repellency
Field capacity

Journal

International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology cover
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
IF:
3.4
Papers:
7.8K
Citations:
1.7W

Organization

Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco cover
Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco
Scholars:
103
Papers: 47
Citations: 425
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