Soil Toxicity Assessment During and After a Bioremediation Process of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

This project addresses the issue of soil contamination by hydrocarbons, a significant environmental damage resulting from productive and petroleum activities in Ecuador. The main objective is to monitor the effectiveness of a bioremediation process by evaluating soil toxicity, comparing the results against current Ecuadorian regulations. The methodology focuses on establishing a 10kg soil microcosm system contaminated with PAHs, subjected to bioremediation using previously assessed microbial consortia. Toxicity will be determined through seed bioassays (wheat and lettuce) following the OECD Protocol 208, measuring the inhibition of germination and early growth to calculate the Median Effective Concentrations (EC50). Additionally, key soil enzymatic activities will be measured as indicators of ecological health and remediation progress: urease, lipase (colorimetric method), dehydrogenase, and catalase (Johnson and Temple method). These biochemical and ecotoxicological analyses provide a comprehensive assessment of the soil's physical, chemical, and microbiological properties, allowing for robust monitoring of the bioremediation process.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>To evaluate soil toxicity during and after a hydrocarbon bioremediation process, based on current Ecuadorian regulations (Decree 1215-2001) which establish hydrocarbon concentration limits in soil.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Biodiversity and genetic resources