So that I’m clear, I’m ***not*** thinking about pouring my used motor oil all over the yard. But I ***did*** think about pouring out a small jar of unused olive oil in the dirt. I’m 85 to 90 percent sure I’ve heard that’s a no-no, but I’m wondering why. What exactly happens when oil hits dirt? Shouldn’t the soil bacteria chew it up just like they chew up everything else organic? And would the same thing happen to crude oil?
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Oils will be broken down by bacteria in the environment and used as a food source.
The big issue is the rate at which it happens. A jar is not a significant amount that will be eaten in short order by the bacteria in your yard. A gallon will take a long time and probably leave a large area uninhabitable by life because it displaces water and stops the diffusion of oxygen, ultimately slowing down the break down process making it last longer in the environment.
A metric ton will sit on top of a lake and block oxygen, kill fish, and block sewers on the way there. It will take forever to break down because it will coat the top of the lake leading to an oxygen deprived environment
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