Determining the extent of weathering of spilled fuel in contaminated soil using the diastereomers of pristane and phytane

A method is described for determining the relative extent of weathering in moderately biodegraded, hydrocarbon-contaminated soils from Antarctica. Plotting the pristane diastereomer ratio (PrDR) vs. pristane/phytane (Pr/Ph) allows the relative extent of weathering (primarily evaporation in this case) to be determined. PrDR is used to account for biodegradation as it is independent of evaporation. The method is straightforward and as robust as conventional ratios.