Impact of Three Chainsaw Lubricants on Forest Soil Bacterial Community, Soil Respiration and Seedling Growth

Abstract

Lubricants are applied onto chainsaw blades to achieve their optimum cutting performance; however, during logging or timber operations, lubricants may penetrate the forest soil. The persistent organic pollutants in lubricants may cause environmental damage, and different types of lubricants vary in terms of their environmental impact. Hence, selecting appropriate lubricants for timber operations is important for sustainable forest management. In this study, the effects of three lubricant types—biodegradable oil (bio-oil), petroleum-based bar-and-chain oil (mineral oil), and petroleum-based recycled oil (recycled oil)—on soil health were evaluated. The study was conducted in a controlled nursery setting, simulating post-logging reforestation. Sixteen types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations in the soil samples were analyzed. Bio-oil facilitated faster recovery from soil contamination, whereas mineral oil exhibited slow and incomplete recovery. Recycled lubricants appear to be more environmentally sustainable options, indicating lower long-term soil contamination risks than petroleum-based lubricants. From a productivity perspective, the lubricant that supported the growth of seedlings was bio-oil. The findings of our study contribute to responsible lubricant selection for enhancing the overall health and sustainability of forest ecosystems.

Variation of Soil Bacterial Communities in Forest Soil Contaminated with Chainsaw Lubricants

“…Of which, bio-oil had higher relative abundances in several functional bacteria than mineral oil and recycled oil. In addition, contaminated soil can facilitate faster recovery using bio-oil than mineral oil and recycled oil [ 17 ]. Therefore, using bio-oil may be the optimal solution and have the most negligible impact on the microbial community in the soil.…”

“…Using chain saws for thinning activities and wood harvesting is a common practice in the forest sector, and lubricants are necessary to prevent the wear of chain saw blades during this process. However, these lubricants can seep into the soil, causing contaminated soil and impacting soil respiration and seedling growth [ 17 ]. Assessing the influence of lubricants on changes in bacterial communities in forest soil is still limited and lacks information.…”