The Impact of Effective Microorganisms, vermiculture, and vegetation on the remediation of soils fertilized with natural and organic fertilizers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17512/INSTAL.2026.10.06Keywords:
bioaugmentation, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organic pollutantsAbstract
The aim of the study was to assess the effect of Effective Microorganisms (EM), vermiculture, vegetation and selected combinations of these methods on changes in the concentration of the sum of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Σ16PAH) in soil with the addition of compost, digestate, liquid manure and sewage sludge. The pot experiment included 24 variants in which compost, digestate, liquid manure, or sewage sludge was used, along with various biological remediation methods. Concentrations of 16 PAHs were determined using the GC-MS method according to PN-ISO 18287:2008. The results indicate that the use of biological remediation methods was associated with a reduction in Σ16PAH concentrations compared with unaided variants. The greatest reduction in Σ16PAH was observed in soil with sewage sludge added in the variant combining EM with vegetation. The results indicate the potential of integrated biological methods in the remediation of PAH-contaminated soils, but the assessment of the effectiveness of individual variants should take into account the different properties of the organic materials used.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Anna Kuczabska, Dariusz Boruszko (Autor)
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