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Induced-Polarization Measurements On Unconsolidated Sediments From A Site Of Active Hydrocarbon Biodegradation, Gamal Z. Abdel Aal, Lee D. Slater, Estella A. Atekwana

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To investigate the potential role that indigenous microorganisms and microbial processes may play in altering low frequency electrical properties, induced-polarization (IP) measurements in the frequency range of 0.1 to 1000 Hz were acquired from sediment samples retrieved from a site contaminated by hydrocarbon undergoing intrinsic biodegradation. Increased imaginary conductivity and phase were observed for samples from the smear zone (contaminated with residual-phase hydrocarbon), exceeding values obtained for samples contaminated with dissolved-phase hydrocarbons, and in turn, exceeding values obtained for uncontaminated samples. Real conductivity, although generally elevated for samples from the smear zone, did not show a strong correlation with contamination. …