Effect of electrokinetic on biodegradation of fluorene and phenanthrene in soil

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic compounds. Removal of these compounds has a great importance for environment. Removal of PAHs from soil is difficult as these chemicals are persistent in the soil. In this research, bioremediation of soil contaminated by (PAH) using Bacillus subtilis DSMZ 3256 (B.subtilis) strains was studied. The effect of electrokinetic on biodegradation of PAH was investigated. Fluorene and phenanthrene were selected as PAH and were mixed with soil. The bioremediation experiment was initially performed at 30oC and different humidities. The results represented 12.2 and 11.9% removal of fluorene and phenanthrene at 40% relative humidity after 7 days, respectively. The effects of electrokinetic on this process were studied at different current densities. It was found that the electrokinetic can reduce the biodesulfurization time. According to the results, the removal percents of fluorene and phenanthrene after 4 days under current density 1.82 mA/cm2 were 39.4 and 37.2, respectively.