Effect of Soil Polluted with Petroleum-Derived Substances during Bioremediation on the Occurrence of Collembola and Acarina

摘要

The research aimed at investigating the effect of soil contamination with various petroleum-derived substances (PDSs, e.g., spent engine oil, diesel fuel, and petrol) on springtail (Collembola) and mite (Acarina) occurrence over 28 months from the moment of pollution. We also assessed the effect of the bioremediation process supported by ZB-01 preparation on the process of soil settlement by the above-mentioned invertebrates. We tried to determine whether the occurrence and activity of these organisms may be useful as a bioindicator or monitoring tool for assessing PDS presence in the soil and speed of remediation process (both natural and supported). A combined method, i.e., pitfall trapping and analysis of soil samples, was used for assessing the presence of Collembola and Acarina. Considering the investigated PDSs, petrol revealed the shortest (about a year) negative effect on Collembola presence on the soil surface (measured by pitfall trapping), whereas it was visible for the longest time (2 years) for diesel fuel. Although initiating a bioremediation process using ZB-01 preparation on soil polluted with petrol (in the first year) and diesel fuel (in the second) resulted in a significant increase in Collembola activity on the soil surface, it limited this parameter in soil contaminated with engine oil and in the control soil (in the second and third years of the experiment). Both diesel fuel and engine oil revealed a strong negative effect on the occurrence of springtails and mites in soil (soil sample analysis) perceptible even after 28 months from the moment of soil pollution. At the same time, a visible positive response to applied bioremediation supported by biopreparation ZB-01 was registered. Analysis of soil samples polluted with PDSs for springtail and mite presence may be a potentially useful indicator for assessing the degree of soil self-cleaning, since a perceptible response was noticed, dependent both on the PDS and the course of the supported bioremediation process.