Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds under various redox conditions in soil-water systems

Journal Article · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6770272

Mihelcic, J R; Luthy, R G

Naphthol, naphthalene, and acenaphthene were degraded microbially under aerobic conditions from initial aqueous-phase concentrations of 9, 7, and 1 mg/lit to nondetectable levels in 3, 10, and 10 days, respectively. Under anaerobic conditions naphthol degraded to nondetectable levels in 15 days, whereas naphthalene and acenaphthene showed no significant degradation over periods of 50 and 70 days, respectively. Under denitrification conditions naphthol, naphthalene, and acenaphthene were degraded from initial aqueous-phase concentrations of 8, 7, and 0.4 ng/liter to nondetectable levels in 16, 45, and 40 days, respectively. Acclimation periods of approximately 2 days under aerobic conditions and 2 weeks under denitrification conditions were observed for both naphthalene and acenaphthene. Abiotic degradation of naphthalene and naphthol were evaluated by reaction with manganese oxide, a minor soil constituent. In the presence of a manganese oxide, naphthalene showed no abiotic degradation over a period of 9 weeks, whereas the aqueous naphthol concentration decreased from 9 mg/liter to nondetectable levels in 9 days. The results of this study show that low-molecular-weight, unsubstituted, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are amenable to microbial degradation in soil-water systems under denitrification conditions.

• Research Organization: Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC21-84FC10619
• OSTI ID: 6770272
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States) Vol. 54:5; ISSN AEMID
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACENAPHTHENE
AEROBIC CONDITIONS
ANAEROBIC CONDITIONS
AROMATICS
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONDENSED AROMATICS
DECOMPOSITION
DENITRIFICATION
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
NAPHTHALENE
NAPHTHOLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHENOLS
REDOX REACTIONS
SEDIMENTS
SOILS