TY - JOUR

T1 - Prediction of PAH biodegradation in field contaminated soils using a cyclodextrin extraction technique.

AU - Papadopoulos, Apostolos

AU - Paton, Graeme I.

AU - Reid, Brian J.

AU - Semple, Kirk T.

N1 - Joint Meeting on Sources, Fate, Behaviour and Effects of Organic Chemicals at the Regional and Global Scale, Lancaster, ENGLAND, SEP, 2006

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - Biodegradation has been identified as a major loss process for organic contaminants in soils and, as a result, microbial strategies have been developed for the remediation of contaminated land. Prediction of the biodegradable fraction would be important for determining bioremediation endpoints in the clean-up of contaminated land. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of a cyclodextrin extraction to predict the extent to which polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) would be degraded microbiologically in field contaminated soils; further testing the robustness and reproducibility of this extraction in chemically complex systems. Dichloromethane and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD) extractable fractions were measured together with the PAH biodegradable fraction in each of the six field contaminated soils The amounts of PAHs degraded by the catabolic activity of the indigenous microflora in each of the soils were correlated with HPCD-extractable PAH concentrations The regressions showed that the amounts of lower molecular weight PAHs extracted by the HPCD were not significantly (P 4 005) di erent to the amounts that were degraded However, higher molecular weight PAHs that were extracted by HPCD did differ significantly (P < 005) from the amounts degraded Although the HPCD extraction did overestimate the microbially degradable fraction of the higher molecular weight PAHs, overall the correlations between the HPCD extractable fraction and the microbially degradable fraction were very close, with mean values of the slope of line for the six soils equalling 1. This study further describes the robust and reproducible nature of the aqueous-based soil extraction technique reliably measuring the extent to which PAHs will be microbially degraded in soil.

AB - Biodegradation has been identified as a major loss process for organic contaminants in soils and, as a result, microbial strategies have been developed for the remediation of contaminated land. Prediction of the biodegradable fraction would be important for determining bioremediation endpoints in the clean-up of contaminated land. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of a cyclodextrin extraction to predict the extent to which polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) would be degraded microbiologically in field contaminated soils; further testing the robustness and reproducibility of this extraction in chemically complex systems. Dichloromethane and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD) extractable fractions were measured together with the PAH biodegradable fraction in each of the six field contaminated soils The amounts of PAHs degraded by the catabolic activity of the indigenous microflora in each of the soils were correlated with HPCD-extractable PAH concentrations The regressions showed that the amounts of lower molecular weight PAHs extracted by the HPCD were not significantly (P 4 005) di erent to the amounts that were degraded However, higher molecular weight PAHs that were extracted by HPCD did differ significantly (P < 005) from the amounts degraded Although the HPCD extraction did overestimate the microbially degradable fraction of the higher molecular weight PAHs, overall the correlations between the HPCD extractable fraction and the microbially degradable fraction were very close, with mean values of the slope of line for the six soils equalling 1. This study further describes the robust and reproducible nature of the aqueous-based soil extraction technique reliably measuring the extent to which PAHs will be microbially degraded in soil.

U2 - 10.1039/b700720e

DO - 10.1039/b700720e

M3 - Journal article

VL - 9

SP - 516

EP - 522

JO - Journal of Environmental Monitoring

JF - Journal of Environmental Monitoring

SN - 1464-0325

IS - 6

ER -