Review of the effects of oil pollutants on physicochemical and biological soil properties

Soil is one of the most important natural and limited resources of the earth and considered the most vital component of the environment after the weather. It has vital importance and plays a key role in climate change, land erosion, food security, and ecosystem processes. Soil is the central part of the earth's ecosystem and is the intermediary between the earth's surface and parent rocks. Therefore, it is an important and effective factor in the formation and emergence of any soil ecosystem. This important natural resource is facing various problems such as exposure to different kinds of pollution. Oil and other oil-derived hydrocarbon materials are the most common kinds of soil pollutants, particularly in oil-rich regions. These pollutants remarkably affect different soil attributes as well as plant growth. Therefore, in this chapter, we summarize the effects of oil pollution on different (physical, chemical, mechanical, hydraulic, and biological) soil attributes and plant growth.