The rate that the microorganisms metabolize the pesticide

Background. If a pesticide leaks from a storage tank into agricultural soil, one way to prevent it from reaching groundwater is to mix sawdust into the contaminated soil to immobilize the pesticide. A group of scientists is concerned that adding sawdust will negatively impact microbial activity in the soil. The scientists hypothesize that organic compounds in the sawdust will alter the microbial community and that this will slow down the rate that the microorganisms metabolize the pesticide.

Question. Propose two experiments that the scientists should do to test their hypotheses:

1. For the first one, propose an experiment to test whether adding sawdust to soil will impact microbial activity.
2. For the second one, propose an experiment to measure whether adding sawdust to soil negatively impacts microbial biodegradation of the pesticide. Note: assume that the pesticide is a nonpolar organic compound.

In your response, explain how you will set up the experiments. Be sure to include the treatments and controls that you recommend for the scientists and the techniques you propose to use for measurements.