Developing strategies for PAH and TCE bioremediation

Abstract

Bioremediation is the controlled use of microbes, commonly bacteria and fungi, to reclaim soil and water contaminated with substances that are deleterious to human health and the environment. The organisms used often naturally inhabit the polluted matrix; however, they may inhabit a different environment and be used as seed organisms because of their ability to degrade a specific class of substances. It is because of the wide diversity of microbial metabolic potential that bioremediation is possible. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds that are ubiquitous in the environment. They are present in fossil fuels and are formed during the incomplete combustion of organic material. PAHs exhibit low volatility and low aqueous solubility. As the molecular weight of these compounds increases, there is an exponential decrease in solubility and volatility. PAHs tend to adsorb onto soils and sediments because of their hydrophobic character, which is an intrinsic function of molecular size. The microbial degradation of individual PAHs by pure cultures and mixed populations occurs under a wide range of soil types and environmental conditions. Generally, the factors having the greatest influence on PAH biodegradation rates are soil moisture content, pH, inorganic nutrients present, PAH loading rates, initial PAH concentrations, and themore » presence of an acclimated microbial population. Feasibility studies are essential for developing a bioremediation strategy and are performed in a phased testing program that is designed to accomplish a number of objectives. These objectives include establishing an indigenous microbial population that will degrade specific contaminants, defining the rate-limiting factors for enhanced PAH degradation and the optimal treatment in terms of rates and cleanup levels attainable, and developing design parameters for field operations.« less