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Enhancement of aerobic microbial degradation of polychlorinated biphenyl in soil microcosms
Author(s) -
Manzano Manuel A.,
Perales José A.,
Sales Diego,
Quiroga José M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620220403
Subject(s) - microcosm , environmental chemistry , polychlorinated biphenyl , biphenyl , degradation (telecommunications) , environmental science , microbial biodegradation , chemistry , ecology , microorganism , biology , bacteria , organic chemistry , telecommunications , computer science , genetics
This article reports the results of various biodegradation experiments on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)‐contaminated sandy soil employing a mixed culture of acclimatized bacteria. Following the optimization of different variables without chemical pretreatment, the elimination rate achieved of Aroclor® 1242 in slurry‐phase reactors was 61% after four months of treatment, with the presence of biphenyl as cosubstrate being the most important factor affecting PCB biodegradation. The biodegradation occurred as a first‐order process, and it proved most effective in respect to dichlorinated biphenyls (100% removal), followed by trichlorinated (92%) and tetrachlorinated biphenyls (24%). The results also showed that the degradability of PCBs in soil may be enhanced by an advanced oxidation pretreatment (Fenton reaction), producing almost 100% elimination of PCBs at the end of the integrated chemical‐biological process and 72% mineralization of the intermediates generated during the chemical pretreatment.