Remediation of Phenanthrene-contaminated soil by simultaneous chemical and biological degradation processes

VERONICA C. MORA; LAURA MADUEÑO; MARINA PELUFFO; JANINA A. ROSSO; MARÍA T. DEL PANNO; IRMA S. MORELLI

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

Lugar: HEIDELBERG; Año: 2014 vol. 21 p. 7548 - 7556

0944-1344

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) areubiquitous compounds with carcinogenic and/or mutagenicpotential. To address the limitations of individual remediationtechniques and to achieve better PAH removal efficiencies, thecombination of chemical and biological treatments can beused. The degradation of phenanthrene (chosen as a modelof PAH) by persulfate in freshly contaminated soil microcosmswas studied to assess its impact on the biodegradationprocess and on soil properties. Soil microcosms contaminatedwith 140 mg/kgDRY SOIL of phenanthrene were treated withdifferent persulfate (PS) concentrations 0.86?41.7 g/kgDRYSOIL and incubated for 28 days. Analyses of phenanthreneand persulfate concentrations and soil pH were performed.Cultivable heterotrophic bacterial count was carried out after28 days of treatment. Genetic diversity analysis of the soilmicrocosm bacterial community was performed by PCR amplificationof bacterial 16S rDNA fragments followed bydenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The additionof PS in low concentrations could be an interestingbiostimulatory strategy that managed to shorten the lag phaseof the phenanthrene biological elimination, without negativeeffects on the physicochemical and biological soil properties,improving the remediation treatment.