Bioremediation trial on aged PCB polluted soils - A bench study in Iceland

• Published in: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
• Main Authors: LEHTINEN Taru, MIKKONEN Any, SIGFUSSON Bergur, OLAFSDOTTIR Kristin, RAGNARSDOTTIR Kristin Vala, GUICHARNAUD Rannveig Anna
• Language: English
• Published: SPRINGER HEIDELBERG 2013
• Subjects: Iceland; Keflavík
• Online Access: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC84185; http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11356-013-2069-z#; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-2069-z

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) pose a threat to the envuronment due to their high adsorption capacity to soil organic matter, stability and low reactivity, low water solubility, toxicity and ability to accumulate. With Icelandic soils, research on contamination issies has been very limited, and no data has been reported either on PCB degradation potential or rate. The goals of this research were to assess the bioavailability of aged PBCs in the soils of the old NATO facility in Keflavík, Iceland, and to find the best feasable biostimulation method to decrease the pollution. The effectiveness of different iostimulation additives at different temperatures and oxygen levels were tested. PCB bioavailability to soil fauna was assessed with earthworms (Eisenia foetia). PCBs were biovailable to earthworms, with less chlorinated congeners showing higher bioaccumulation factors than highly chlorinated congeners. Biostimulation with pine needles at 10 degrees under aerobic conditions resulted in nearly 38% degradation of total PCBs after two months incubation. Detection of aerobic PCB degrading bphA gene supports the indigenous capability of the soils to aerobically degrade PCBs. JRC.H.5 - Land Resources Management