Publication details

The development of phenanthrene catabolism in natural and artificial soils

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Authors

RHODES Angela HOFMAN Jakub SEMPLE Kirk

Year of publication 2008
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Environmental Pollution
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Field Soil contamination adn decontamination incl. pesticides
Keywords PAHs; Catabolism; Natural soil; Artificial soil
Description The characteristics of natural soils often vary from those of artificial soil (e.g. OECD), which may lead to substantial differences in the bioavailability of test substances. The aim of this investigation was to characterise the development of phenanthrene catabolism in both natural and artificial soils with varying total organic carbon (TOC) content after 1, 14, 42 and 84 d soil phenanthrene contact time. Indigenous catabolic activity was measured via the addition of 14C-phenanthrene using the respirometric soil slurry assay. Notably, the lag phases, fastest rates and total extents of 14C-phenanthrene degradation were relatively comparable in soils with similar TOC content after 1 d contact time. However, natural soils generally exhibited significantly shorter lag phases, faster rates and higher extents of mineralisation, than their artificial counterparts after 42 and 84 d contact time. Such findings suggest that the extrapolation of results from artificial soils to real/natural soils may not be straightforward.
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