BACKGROUND: Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), which are main materials of soil contamination by oil, are a term used for any mixture of hydrocarbons. Korea Ministry of Environment established the maximum permissible level of TPH in farmland by 500 mg/kg, and reported that the TPH level of soil in 266 installation such as gas station, transport company, and military unit ranged from 1,356 to 55,117 mg/kg and were much higher than the maximum permissible level in 2011. METHODS AND RESULTS: To determine the effect of TPH on crops, we investigated the effect of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel on the germination and radicle growth of mainly consumed crops. The germination rates of control in investigated all crops ranged from 80.0-100%. The germination and radicle growth in majority of investigated crops were not inhibited even at 2,500 mg/L. However, germination in onion, leek, and green perilla and radicle growth in leek, rape, tomato, and green perilla were significantly inhibited by increasing concentrations of gasoline, kerosene and diesel treatment. Germination and radicle growth inhibition of green perilla by kerosene and diesel were the highest, the percent inhibition at the 500 mg/L were 100 and 98.6%, 100 and 88.2%, respectively. 50% inhibition of germination in green perilla by kerosene and diesel were 39.96 and 29.87 mg/L, and 50% inhibition of radicle growth were 52.76 and 177.96 mg/L, respectively. Conclusion(s): These results suggest the possibility that the maximum permissible level of TPH might to be established general level with exception by crops.