Retorted oil shale effects on soil microbiological characteristics

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1979.00472425000800040016x· OSTI ID:5640182

Hersman, L E; Klein, D A

The effects of retorted oil shale additions on the microbiological characteristics of surface soils were investigated in a laboratory study to evaluate possible effects of mixing of soils and retorted shales which might occur as a part of revegetation programs in areas disturbed by oil shale processing. Soils were mixed with retorted oil shale at 5, 10, and 25% addition levels, and compared with normal soil and retorted shale over a 2.5-mo period, with evaluation of microbiological parameters carried out at 2-week intervals. With retorted shale present at up to 10% by weight, no negative effects on oxygen uptake or on actinomycete and bacterial populations were noted, while significant reductions of nitrogen fixation rates, as measured by acetylene reduction, and of dehydrogenase activity, fungal populations, radioactive glucose mineralization, and ATP concentrations occurred, with nitrogen fixation being most affected by shale material. These studies suggest that nonsymbiotic nitrogen fixation in surface soils may be especially sensitive to the presence of retorted oil shale. It would appear necessary to assure that sufficient surface soil is used to cover retorted oil shales to allow development and functioning of a diverse vegetation-microbiological community in such a way that physical mixing or movement of water-soluble retorted oil shale constituents into this surface soil layer would be minimized.

• Research Organization: Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-S-02-4018
• OSTI ID: 5640182
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 8:4; ISSN JEVQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
041000 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Environmental Aspects
510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINOMYCES
ADDITIVES
ATP
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DATA FORMS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
FUNGI
GRAPHS
INFORMATION
LAND RECLAMATION
LAYERS
MANAGEMENT
MICROORGANISMS
NITROGEN FIXATION
NONMETALS
NUCLEOTIDES
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
PLANTS
REVEGETATION
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SHALES
SOILS
SPENT SHALES
UPTAKE
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT