In the present study, sodium alginate and diatomite
were selected because of their natural origin and many
advantages. The aim of the present study was to compare
the efficiency of free and immobilized inoculants of
the indigenous petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria
in removing crude oil from a soil of the Yellow
River Delta. We studied the influence of the inoculum
amount and the amendment of diatomite to sodium
alginate beads on the contamination removal, microbial
activity, and degrading microorganism colonization.
The preservation condition of immobilized beads
was also analyzed.