Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation by a mixed bacterial culture
- BIOPRACT GmbH, Berlin (Germany)
Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are a complex mixture of organic compounds, was demonstrated using a bacterial mixed culture selected from a contaminated site by the BIOPRACT GmbH. The investigations were carried out in a laboratory fermenter using emulsified tar oil as the substrate to determine the following: (1) concentration of the single PAH and of the sum of PAHs relative to fermentation time, (2) carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and oxygen (O{sub 2}) content in the outflowing air during fermentation, (3) chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the broth, and (4) toxicity of the broth before and after fermentation according to the bioluminescence test (DIN 38412, part 34/1). The results of this model experiment indicated that the investigated mixed culture is able to effectively metabolize the PAHs contained in tar oil, including the higher condensed compounds such as benzo(a)pyrene. In the first 8 days of fermentation, the PAH sum decreased to below 5% of the starting concentration connected with a five-fold reduction of the toxic effect on Vibrio fischeri. The PAH degradation rate correlated with the rate of COD decrease, the rate of evolving CO{sub 2}, and the consumption of O{sub 2}.
- OSTI ID:
- 490964
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950483--; ISBN 1-57477-008-X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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