Biochar-mediated remediation impacts on nitrogen cycling bacteria and ammonia monooxygenase activity in crude oil polluted soil

This study adopted an ecosystem services approach to pollution management by investigating the impact of biochar-mediated remediation on soil nitrogen, abundance nitrogen cycling bacteria and activity ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) enzyme in petroleum-polluted using two biochar types applied at treatment levels with monitoring over 15 weeks. The corn cob-derived (CDB), generally, had a stronger restorative effect ammonium nitrate total organic concentrations than bone-derived (BDB). Both more robust restoration Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter Azotobacter (with re-establishment pre-pollution levels) Rhizobium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Biochar amendment restored AMO week 15. CDB (72.4% – 73.7%) showed effective petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) elimination capacity BDB (51.1% 57.7%). amendments exhibited great potential for while facilitating soils.