Organic Acid Derivatization Techniques Applied to Petroleum Hydrocarbon Transformations in Subsurface Environments

Evidence for the natural microbial remediation of subsurface fuel contamination situations should include identification and analysis of transformation or degradation products. In this way. u mass balance between fuel constituents and end products may be approached to monitor cleanup progress. Application of advanced organic acid metabolite derivatization techniques to several known sites of organic compounds and fuel mixture contamination provide valuable information on the pathways and progress of microbial transformation. Good correlation between observed metabolites and transformation pathways of aromatic fuel constituents were observed at the sites.