Physicochemical characterisation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated land of Guru Gobind Singh refinery’s peripheral area, Punjab

Abstract

Petroleum hydrocarbons are a critical environmental contaminant and pose a serious hazard to the living system as petroleum hydrocarbons are identified as carcinogenic and neurotoxic organic pollutants. Therefore, remedial methods are required to dispose of it. With a modern understanding of nature and microorganisms, bioremediation is the preferred method for soil pollution control. However, before the implementation of successful bioremediation technology, it is required to assess various physico-chemical parameters of contaminated soil. In the present study, various physico-chemical parameters, including pH, electrical conductivity, water holding capacity, organic carbon, organic matter, available nitrogen, carbonate, bicarbonate, potassium and sodium contents of the petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil were estimated. The results suggested a rise in all the estimated parameters for the petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil.

Keywords

• Contaminated soil
• Petroleum Hydrocarbon pollution
• Physico-chemical parameters of soil