Abstract:
In this study, micromorphological properties of som
e samples collected from pedons
polluted with petroleum refinery wastes and some ad
jacent unpolluted pedons were
studied. After description of the studied pedons, d
isturbed and undisturbed samples were
collected for physicochemical and micromorphologica
l analyses. The results showed that
the physicochemical properties (i.e. structure, bul
k density, pH, EC and organic matter)
of the soils polluted with petroleum wastes were st
rongly changed. Prolonged exposure of
soils to the petroleum wastes resulted in the forma
tion of specific and distinctive
micromorphological features. Strongly developed gra
nular microstructure and infillings
of solid petroleum wastes alone or mixed with soil
aggregates were some of the most
important pedofeatures which were observed in deepe
r horizons. The existence of
excrement belonging to different soil micro and mac
ro fauna, coatings, hypocoatings,
quasicoatings, and zones depleted from petroleum di
ssolvable materials at different
depths were the other features throughout the pedon
s. The type of developed
pedofeatures was correlated with the state of petro
leum wastes and their fluidity in
penetration, deposition, or dissolving and removal
of soil compounds. This study
demonstrated that micromorphology can be used as a
powerful technique in
characterization of petroleum polluted soils.
Keywords:
Oil contamination, Pedofeatures, Physico-chemical
properties, Soil quality,
Technosols.
