9505454 Bisesi This is an award to support exploratory research on the potential for enhancement of biological processes for degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons present in soil that has been polluted by these substances. In this research, soil contaminated with the target hydrocarbons will be innoculated with earthworm species, selected for their enzymatic pathways known to accelerate transformation of organic compounds, and with soil microorganisms that contain enzymes known to catalyze the degradation of toxic organic compounds. The investigator plans on studying the influence of extracellular enzymes produced by microorganisms and soil characteristics that affect the process by which organic soil contaminants derived from petroleum may be transformed into substances of lesser or no pollutional significance. The proposal leading to this award was submitted to NSF under the Special Guidelines for an SGER (Small Grant for Exploratory Research) in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 94-2). Results of this research are expected to provide the basis for further research on the potential for biologically augmenting and enhancing the decontamination of soil that has been polluted by gasoline, lubricating oil and diesel fuel that has leaked from underground storage tanks or otherwise entered soil where the hydrocarbons pose a potential for contaminating groundwater. ***
