Issue 11, 2017

Indigenous 14C-phenanthrene biodegradation in “pristine” woodland and grassland soils from Norway and the United Kingdom

Abstract

In this study, the indigenous microbial mineralisation of 14C-phenanthrene in seven background soils (four from Norwegian woodland and three from the UK (two grasslands and one woodland)) was investigated. ∑PAHs ranged from 16.39 to 285.54 ng g−1 dw soil. Lag phases (time before 14C-phenanthrene mineralisation reached 5%) were longer in all of the Norwegian soils and correlated positively with TOC, but negatively with ∑PAHs and phenanthrene degraders for all soils. 14C-phenanthrene mineralisation in the soils varied due to physicochemical properties. The results show that indigenous microorganisms can adapt to 14C-phenanthrene mineralisation following diffuse PAH contamination. Considering the potential of soil as a secondary PAH source, these findings highlight the important role of indigenous microflora in the processing of PAHs in the environment.

Graphical abstract: Indigenous 14C-phenanthrene biodegradation in “pristine” woodland and grassland soils from Norway and the United Kingdom

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 May 2017
Accepted
28 Sep 2017
First published
04 Oct 2017
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2017,19, 1437-1444

Indigenous 14C-phenanthrene biodegradation in “pristine” woodland and grassland soils from Norway and the United Kingdom

U. V. Okere, J. K. Schuster, U. O. Ogbonnaya, K. C. Jones and K. T. Semple, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2017, 19, 1437 DOI: 10.1039/C7EM00242D

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