Biodegradation of 2-chlorophenol in forest soil: effect of inoculation with aerobic sewage sludge.
Decontamination of 2-monochlorophenol-containing forest soil was studied in laboratory experiments. We found that in sterile soil, sorption of chlorophenol can occur. Chlorophenol disappearance of approximately 55% was observed in native soil; both soil sorption and degradation by indigenous soil populations caused this disappearance. In native soil, however, the rate of chlorophenol disappearance was enhanced up to slightly more than 90% by inoculation with a sludge taken from the aeration tank of a municipal wastewater treatment plant. In this sludge, the presence of Alcaligenes and Pseudomonas spp. was observed. In other experiments, addition to the soil of a laboratory culture preacclimated to 2-monochlorophenol did not lead to a greater increase in chlorophenol disappearance. In contrast to native soil, inoculation of sterile soil had no effect on disappearance of the chlorophenol. A possible explanation for the lack of cometabolic degradation is that autoclaving of the soil destroys the organic substances within it.
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica e Materiali, Università di Cagliari, Piazza d'Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy. lallai@gaba.dicm.unica.it
Antonio
A
Lallai
Giampaolo
G
Mura
D000042:Absorption; D000421:Alcaligenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002733:Chlorophenols / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000378:metabolism*; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D012988:Soil Microbiology
D002733:Chlorophenols; D012722:Sewage; C030683:2-chlorophenol