Biodegradation of Petroleum in Soils and Beach Sands at Davis Station, Antarctica

• Other Authors: FROST, LESLIE (hasPrincipalInvestigator), FROST, LESLIE (processor), KERRY, LIZ (hasPrincipalInvestigator), Australian Antarctic Data Centre (publisher)
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Australian Antarctic Data Centre
• Subjects: biota; environment; CONTAMINANT LEVELS/SPILLS; EARTH SCIENCE; HUMAN DIMENSIONS; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; RECLAMATION/REVEGETATION/RESTORATION; HABITAT CONVERSION/FRAGMENTATION; PETROLEUM; SOLID EARTH; EARTH GASES/LIQUIDS; AMOEBAS; BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION; PROTISTS; AMOEBOIDS; BACTERIA/ARCHAEA; BIOMASS DYNAMICS; BIOSPHERE; ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS; ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS; hydrocarbons; SAB; special antarctic blend; bioremediation; biodegradation; LABORATORY; FIELD INVESTIGATION; CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > Davis; GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR; Antarctic; Davis Station; Davis-Station; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://researchdata.ands.org.au/biodegradation-petroleum-soils-station-antarctica/1332389; https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/ASAC_127; http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-617536

Metadata record for data from ASAC Project 127 See the link below for public details on this project. From the abstract of the referenced paper: The effect of nutrient and water enhancement on the biodegradation of petroleum was tested in Antarctic mineral soils. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were applied in solution, with or without gum xanthan or plastic covers, to sites artificially contaminated with distillate. The effectiveness of these procedures was assessed by measuring changes in total petroleum hydrocarbons; heptadecane/pristane and octadecane/phytane ratios; in concentrations of major hydrocarbon components and in microbial numbers and activity. Significantly lower hydrocarbon concentrations were recorded after one year in soils treated with fertiliser solutions, but only in the surface 3 cm. These soils also showed lowered heptadecane/pristane and octadecane/phytane ratios and had the highest levels of microbial activity relative to other plots. Soils treated with gum xanthan or covered with plastic had the highest residual hydrocarbon levels. Both treatments inhibted evaporative loss of hydrocarbon, and there were indications that gum xanthan was utilised by the microbiota as an alternative carbon source to distillate. Higher temperatures were recorded under the plastic but no stimulation of biodegradation was detected. Estimated numbers of metabolically active bacteria were in the range of 10^7 to 10^8 per gram dry weight of soil, with an estimated biomass of 0.03 to 0.26 milligrams per gram of soil. Estimated numbers of amoebae were in the range 10^6 to 10^7 per gram soil (biomass of 2 to 4 milligrams per gram). The highest populations were recorded in fertilised, contaminated soils, the only soils where petroleum degradation was demonstrated.