Chemical parameters in soils after a diesel spill at Potter Cove, Carlini Station, King George Island (Isla 25 de Mayo)

A diesel spill occurring at Carlini Station (South Shetland Islands, West Antarctic Peninsula) in 2009 started the study of the fate of the hydrocarbons and their effect on the bacterial communities of the Potter Cove ecosystem. After an underground leak due to a buried broken pipe, soils were sampled at the site of the leak after 15 months, two years and four years, when also more sites were sampled following the underground plume. The hydrocarbon fraction that infiltrated unfrozen soil remained detectable for years, and was seeping with ground water. Structural changes of the bacterial communities as well as hydrocarbon, sulfur, carbon and nitrogen contents were investigated in affected terrestrial sites, and two non-contaminated reference sites.