Biodegradation of creosote and pentachlorophenol in contaminated ground-water: Chemical and biological assessment
Shake flask studies examined the rate and extent of biodegradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and 42 components of coal-tar creosote present in contaminated groundwater recovered from the American Creosote Works Superfund site, Pensacola, Fla. The ability of indigenous soil microorganisms to remove these contaminants from aqueous solutions was determined by gas chromatographic analysis of organic extracts of biotreated groundwater. Changes in potential environmental and human health hazards associated with the biodegradation of the material were determined at intervals by Microtox assays and fish toxicity and teratogenicity tests. After 14 days of incubation at 30 C, indigenous microorganisms effectively removed 100, 99, 94, 88, and 87% of measured phenolic and lower-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and S-heterocyclic, N-heterocyclic, and O-heterocyclic constituents of creosote, respectively. However, only 53% of the higher-molecular-weight PAHs were degraded; PCP was not removed. Despite the removal of a majority of the organic contaminants through biotreatment, only a slight decrease in the toxicity and teratogenicity of biotreated groundwater was observed. Data suggest that toxicity and teratogenicity are associated with compounds difficult to treat biologically and that one may not necessarily rely on indigenous microorganisms to effectively remove these compounds in a reasonable time span; to this end, alternative or supplemental approaches may be necessary. Similar measures of the toxicity and teratogenicity of treated material may offer a simple, yet important, guide to bioremediation effectiveness. (Copyright (c) 1991, American Society for Microbiology.)
- Research Organization:
- Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Breeze, FL (United States). Environmental Research Lab.
- OSTI ID:
- 5823432
- Report Number(s):
- PB-92-129659/XAB
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Pub. in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, v57 n5 p1277-1285 May 91. See also PB90-129552. Prepared in cooperation with Southern BioProducts, Inc., Pendleton, SC
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
BIODEGRADATION
TOXICITY
CREOSOTE
WASTE DISPOSAL
FISHES
SENSITIVITY
GROUND WATER
DECONTAMINATION
CHEMICAL SPILLS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
REMEDIAL ACTION
TERATOGEN SCREENING
WATER POLLUTION
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AROMATICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
CLEANING
DECOMPOSITION
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SCREENING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
VERTEBRATES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology