Natural degradation of low-level petroleum hydrocarbon contamination under crop management

Purpose Natural degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC) is a crucial process to consider when managing contaminated soils. However, the degradation rate is dictated by site-specific environmental factors and contaminant characteristics, so it is highly variable. Thus, region-specific research is required to determine the capacity of natural degradation processes to reach cleanup goals. This study describes the natural degradation of low levels of Bakken crude oil contamination in the Northern Great Plains, USA.