Biochemical activities in soil overlying Paraho processed oil shale

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5853827

Sorensen, D L

Microbial activity development in soil materials placed over processed oil shale is vital to the plant litter decomposition, cycling of nutrients, and soil organic matter accumulation and maintenance. Samples collected in the summers of 1979, 1980, and 1981 from revegetated soil 30-, 61-, and 91-cm deep overlying spent oil shale in the Piceance Basin of northwestern Colorado were assayed for dehydrogenease activity with glucose and without glucose, for phosphatase activity, and for acetylene reduction activity. Initial ammonium and nitrite nitrogen oxidation rates and potential denitrification rates were determined in 1981. Zymogenous dehydrogenase activity, phosphatase activity, nitrogenase activity, potential denitrification rates, and direct microscopic counts were lower in surface soil 30 cm deep, and were frequently lower in surface soil 61 cm deep over processed shale than in a surface-disturbed control area soil. Apparently, microbial activities are stressed in these more shallow replaced soils. Soil 61 cm deep over a coarse-rock capillary barrier separating the soil from the spent shale, frequently had improved biochemical activity. Initial ammonium and nitrite nitrogen oxidation rates were lower in all replaced soils than in the disturbed control soil. Soil core samples taken in 1981 were assayed for dehydrogenase and phosphatase activities, viable bacteria, and viable fungal propagules. In general, microbial activity decreased quickly below the surface. At depths greater than 45 cm, microbial activities were similar in buried spent shale and surface-disturbed control soil.

• OSTI ID: 5853827
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
041000 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Environmental Aspects
560302* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Microorganisms-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACETYLENE
ALDEHYDES
ALKYNES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BIOCHEMISTRY
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DENITRIFICATION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENZYME ACTIVITY
ENZYMES
ESTERASES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GLUCOSE
HEXOSES
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROLASES
KINETICS
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
MONOSACCHARIDES
NUTRIENTS
OIL SHALES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDOREDUCTASES
PHOSPHATASES
PICEANCE CREEK BASIN
REACTION KINETICS
SACCHARIDES
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
SPENT SHALES