##  [The Use of Commercially-Produced Enzymes or Organic Amendments to Degrade Oil in Contaminated Soils](/resource/use-commercially-produced-enzymes-or-organic-amendments-degrade-oil-contaminated-soils) 

Organization

[InnoTech Alberta (ITA)](/organization/innotech-alberta-ita)

 

 

Resource Type

[Report](/taxonomy/term/38)

 

 

Author(s)

Paul Yeung

Richard Johnson

 

 

Original Authors

Paul Yeung

Richard Johnson

 

 

Resource Date:

1991

 

Page Length

12

 

 

Commercially-produced enzymes were not effective in degrading  
oil in contaminated soil over a six month incubation period. The  
incorporation of barley straw (1.0% by weight) led to a 41% decrease  
in oil content in the heavily contaminated (74 mg/g of oil) Lagoon  
soil and a 38% reduction in the less contaminated (16 mg/g of oil)  
Herald soil over the same time. Barley straw added at 2% by weight  
reduced oil content by 21% in the Lagoon soil and 34% in the Herald  
soil. Sugar beet pulp incorporated at 2% by weight was nearly as  
effective as the 10% straw treatment in degrading oil in both the  
Lagoon and the Herald soils.  
Soil water repellency was reduced immediately by the enzyme  
treatment and in two months by the 10% straw amendment.  
Subsequently, water repellency returned and was particularly severe  
in the 10% straw treatment.