Dynamics of physical properties of agricultural soil contaminated with oil

Abstract

Transportation of oil and petroleum products, their consumption and discharge into the environment of petroleum wastes lead to pollution and degradation of agricultural soils, contribute to a decrease in their fertility. Oil pollution causes disturbances in the morphological, physical, physico-chemical and biological properties of the soil. The influence of oil on the water-physical properties of agricultural soddy podzolic soil of loamy granulometric composition was investigated in long-term field experiment. Oil pollution caused a decrease in soil moisture and specific density at doses of oil 4 L/m² or more during the first three years after the oil spill. It has been established that in oil-contaminated soils there is a significant increase in the number of soil water-stable aggregates. The increase in the aggregate stability occurs due to a decrease in small fractions (microaggregates and particles) <0.25 mm. The formation of a water-stable structure occurs immediately after soil contamination and is typical for all tested oil doses, including minimal dose (0.7 L/m²). In the coming years, there has been a fragmentation and gradual destruction of the soil water-stable aggregates, but the differences between the control and polluted soils persist until the end of the fifth year of observations.