Characterization and evaluation of the effectiveness of commercial products for the bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils.

The aerobic biodegradation kinetics of hydrocarbons in contaminated soils can be limited by three main factors: i) the low presence of nutrients, ii) the low bioavailability of the contaminants, and iii) the reduced presence of hydrocarbon biodegradative capacity in the soil community. To overcome these limiting factors, several commercial products have appeared on the market in recent years. This project aims to investigate the physico-chemical, biodegradative, and environmental fate features of twenty-seven commercial products, as several properties occur to define their efficacy, efficiency, and environmental compatibility.