THE EFFECT OF NUTRIENT AMENDMENTS ON PAH DEGRADATION IN A CREOSOTE CONTAMINATED SOIL

摘要

A laboratory biotreatability study was conducted on aged creosote contaminated soil obtained from a wood preservation site in Atlantic Canada. The purpose was to compare the removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from soil during a four-week incubation with unamended soil and soil containing two organic amendments (dairy manure and municipal solid waste compost) and one inorganic amendment (nitrate fertilizer). Both chemical and biological parameters were monitored to determine treatment efficacy. Although increasing trends were noted in total PAH levels for both the unamended and nitrogen amended soils, the most significant increases (up to 776%) occurred with nitrogen treatments. Mean reductions of up to 94% were achieved with soils receiving solid organic amendments. The results of this study indicate that significant decreases in total PAH levels can be achieved by adding organic amendments to this particular soil, while nitrogen addition may facilitate the microbial mobilization of bound PAH residues.