Assimilative capacity refers to the degree that a particular environment can reduce contamination.
The ability of microorganisms in the subsurface to transform contaminants is a major factor in how much assimilative capacity a media, such as soil, may have. The objective of this research is to test the practicality of using a relatively easily performed laboratory procedure to determine the assimilative capacity of the subsurface. Samples from two sites were used. One of the sites is by the Cedar River near Iowa City, Iowa. The second site is in a cornfield near Ames, Iowa.