title: Microbial treatment of soil to remove pentachlorophenol.
abstract: Direct inoculation of bacteria capable of degrading pentachlorophenol (PCP) into PCP-contaminated soil was investigated as a prophylactic measure to reduce the hazards of runoffs when spills occur or when wooden poles freshly treated with PCP-containing preservatives are located near streams and lakes. In laboratory tests at 30 degrees C, the direct addition of 10 PCP-utilizing Arthrobacter cells per g of dry soil reduced the half-life of the pesticide from 2 weeks to <1 day. Soil inoculation also was shown to be an effective way to increase the PCP disappearance rate in a test conducted in an outdoor shed.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-0294.
authors.forename: R U
authors.initials: RU
authors.lastname: Edgehill
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Finn