Reduced biodegradability of desorption-resistant fractions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil and aquifer solids
- Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
Less of the desorption-resistant fractions of phenanthrene and naphthalene than freshly added phenanthrene and naphthalene was mineralized in columns of aquifer solids, loam, or muck. Slurrying columns of hydrocarbon-amended aquifer solids, loam, or muck enhanced the rate and extent of mineralization of desorption-resistant phenanthrene and naphthalene, but degradation was still less than in slurries amended with fresh compound. A substantial portion of the desorption-resistant compound remained undergraded in the slurry. A surfactant and methanol increased the mineralization of resistant phenanthrene in slurries of loam. A mixed culture of microorganisms enriched on desorption-resistant phenanthrene degraded twice as much of this fraction of compound as a pseudomonad. The authors suggest that predictions of the environment fate of toxic chemicals require information on the biodegradability of the fraction of a compound that is resistant to desorption.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 474310
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 15, Issue 11; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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