Nematodes as bioindicators of ecosystem recovery during phytoremediation of crude oil contaminated soil.

Restoration of a weathered crude oil contaminated site undergoing phytoremediation was evaluated using nematodes as bioindicators. Samples were collected twice per year equating to spring and fall/winter. Mean annual total abundances ranged from 18-130 in the non-fertilized non-vegetated control (CTR) to 69-728 in tall fescue-ryegrass (FES) to 147-749 (100 g(-1)) in the fertilized bermudagrass-fescue (BER) treatment.

Reduced biodegradation of benzonitrile in soil containing wheat-residue-derived ash.

Burning of crop residues is a common agricultural practice that incorporates the resulting particulate matter (ash) of high adsorptivity into soils. To investigate the effect of ash on the biodegradation of pesticides in soils, we measured the sorption, desorption, and biodegradation of benzonitrile in a silt loam in the presence and absence of an ash resulting from burning of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) residue.