SUBSTRATE INTERACTION DURING AEROBIC BIODEGRADATION OF CREOSOTE RELATED-COMPOUNDS - A FACTORIAL BATCH EXPERIMENT

The interactions among seven creosote-related compounds (phenanthrene, fluorene, p-cresol, pentachlorophenol, carbazole, dibenzothiophene, a nd dibenzofuran) during their aerobic biodegradation in groundwater we re studied in factorial experiments. Three separate experiments were c onducted in simple batch systems with phenanthrene, p-cresol, and carb azole as the response variable for the first, second, and third experi ments, respectively, and other compounds as factors. in general,the mo re hydrophobic and recalcitrant compounds were more affected by substr ate interaction. Mineralization of p-cresol was not affected by substr ate interaction. In contrast, p-cresol inhibited mineralization of phe nanthrene, but other compounds did not. Mineralization of carbazole wa s severely affected by the presence of other compounds. p-Cresol was t he main inhibitor. Phenanthrene inhibited biodegradation, but to a les ser extent, whereas fluorene enhanced mineralization of carbazole. Pen tachlorophenol and dibenzofuran caused an increase in the lag time but did not affect mineralization of carbazole afterward.