NEMATODE POPULATION CHANGES DURING
PHYTOREMEDIATION OF A CRUDE OIL-CONTAMINATED SOIL
M.C. Savin
Duane Wolf*
K.M. Greer
P.J. Tomlinson
University of Arkansas
Department of Crop, Soil, & Environmental Sciences
115 Plant Science Building
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Voice: 479-575-5740
Fax: 479-575-7465
E-mail: msavin@uark.edu
S.E. Ziegler
University of Arkansas
Department of Biological Sciences
Fayetteville, AR
G.J. Thoma
University of Arkansas
Department of Chemical Engineering
Fayetteville, AR
Phytoremediation uses plants and agronomic techniques to enhance biodegradation of hydrocarbons in crude oil-contaminated soil. The objective of the field study was to evaluate the influence of phytoremediation on nematode population dynamics in a crude oil-contaminated soil. Four replications of the following treatments were used: non-fertilized vegetation-free control; ryegrass - fescue mixture + fertilizer; or bermudagrass - fescue mixture + fertilizer. Vegetation was successfully established at the field site that had an initial soil total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentration (by GC/FID) of 9,175 mg/kg. Nematode counts and trophic groups were enumerated 30, 37, and 42 months after initiation of the study. Nematode numbers and diversity were lower and TPH levels were higher in the non-fertilized vegetation-free control as compared to the vegetated fertilized plots. The results of these studies demonstrate the importance of plants, agronomic techniques, and their effect on the soil biological community in the clean up of crude oil-contaminated sites.