Monitoring of bioventing process for diesel-contaminated soil by dehydrogenase activity, microbial counts and the ratio of n-alkane/isoprenoid

Monitoring parameters were evaluated for a bioventing process that was designed to treat soils contaminated with diesel fuel. Statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate correlations between total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations in the contaminated soil and physico-chemical parameters of soil such as microbial counts, dehydrogenase activity, and n-alkane/isoprenoid ratio. The correlation coefficients (r(2)) obtained showed that TPH concentrations in the bioventing system were strongly correlated with dehydrogenase activity (DHA), total heterotrophic bacterial count, and hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial count. Thus, it was concluded that these parameters could useful monitoring parameters for soils contaminated with diesel fuel.