Toxicity assessment of fresh and weathered petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated soil- a review

Abstract

Soil contamination with total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) is widespread throughout the globe due to the massive production of TPH anthropogenically and its occurrence in the soil. TPH is toxic to beneficial soil organisms and humans and thus has become a serious concern among the public. Traditionally TPH toxicity in the soil is estimated based on chemical fractions and a range of bioassays including plants, invertebrates and microorganisms. There is a large inconsistency among ecotoxicology data using these assays due to the nature of TPH and their weathering. Therefore, in this article, we critically reviewed the weathered conditions of TPH, the potential fate in soil and the bioindicators for the assessment of the ecotoxicity. Based on the current research and the state-of-the-art problem, we also highlighted key recommendations for future research scope for the real-world solution of the ecotoxicological studies of hydrocarbons.

Keywords: Bioindicators; Ecotoxicity; Soil pollution; Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH); Weathered hydrocarbons.