Degradation tests with PAH-metabolizing soil bacteria for in situ bioremediation

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:492238

Maue, G ^[1]; Dott, W ^[2]

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1. Technical Univ. Berlin (Germany). Fachgebiet Hygiene
2. RWTH Aachen (Germany). Inst. for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine

A rapid screening test for PAH degradation was used to evaluate the metabolizing potential of a bacterial community from a contaminated soil. The test was performed on a small scale within a few days using direct fluorometric quantitative analysis of selected PAHs. Therefore, a wide range of isolates and mixed cultures could be investigated under various substrate conditions with little time and material expenditure. Furthermore, the composition of the bacterial community after growth on different carbon sources was observed. The tests accompanied PAH degradation experiments in a bioreactor for the detection of suitable soil bacteria for in situ bioremediation. A mixed culture consisting of at least five different bacterial species was found in samples of the bioreactor. Different precultivation substrates (PAH) did not influence the stability of the bacterial community. Although only a few isolates metabolized single PAHs (acenaphthene, anthracene, phenanthrene) as sole substrates, the mixed culture metabolized these PAHs within a few days regardless of the precultivation. The stability of the mixed culture indicates its resistance to substrate changes that may occur during in situ bioremediation processes. Enhanced degradation rates occurred following the growth on acenaphthene and phenanthrene.

• OSTI ID: 492238
• Report Number(s): CONF-950483--; ISBN 1-57477-006-3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACENAPHTHENE
ANTHRACENE
BIODEGRADATION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
METABOLISM
PHENANTHRENE
REMEDIAL ACTION
SOILS