DOI: https://doi.org/10.5513/JCEA01/27.2.5128
Review article
The importance of biotic and abiotic soil properties in the bioremediation of crude oil-contaminated soil
2026, 27 (2) p. 560-573
Barbara BERTOVIĆ, Željka ZGORELEC, Monika ŠABIĆ RUNJAVEC, Marija VUKOVIĆ DOMANOVAC
Abstract
Soil is a non-renewable resource essential for food production, ecosystem services, and climate regulation, yet it is increasingly threatened by contamination. Crude oil and its derivatives (petroleum hydrocarbons, PHs) are complex mixtures of compounds that dissolve poorly in water and strongly adsorb to soil particles, reducing their bioavailability and making remediation challenging. Bioremediation, particularly through bioaugmentation and biostimulation, is recognized as a safe, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable strategy for restoring contaminated sites. This technology exploits the metabolic diversity of microorganisms capable of biodegrading hydrocarbons. Indigenous microbial communities, naturally adapted to PHs contamination, often exhibit superior degradation efficiency due to the production of hydrocarbon-degrading enzymes, biosurfactants that increase pollutant availability, and tolerance to hydrocarbon toxicity. However, their activity is strongly influenced by abiotic soil properties such as texture, pH, temperature, salinity, nutrient availability, moisture, and oxygen content, all of which regulate microbial growth and metabolic activity. Biosurfactant-producing bacteria are of particular interest because they simultaneously degrade hydrocarbons and enhance their bioavailability, reducing the need for synthetic surfactants and lowering environmental risks and costs. Understanding the interactions between indigenous microbial communities, contamination characteristics, and soil physicochemical properties is therefore critical for designing effective, site-specific remediation strategies. This review summarizes current knowledge on soil properties important for bioremediation, highlights key bacterial strains adapted to PH contamination, and discusses how these insights can guide the development of efficient and sustainable approaches for the restoration of petroleum-contaminated soils.
Keywords
contamination, petroleum hydrocarbons, bacterial strains, soil properties, bioremediation
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