Jj. Ortegacalvo et al., EFFECT OF VARYING THE RATE OF PARTITIONING OF PHENANTHRENE IN NONAQUEOUS-PHASE LIQUIDS ON BIODEGRADATION IN SOIL SLURRIES, Environmental science & technology, 29(9), 1995, pp. 2222-2225
A study was conducted to determine the influence of varying the rates
of partitioning of phenanthrene from nonaqueous-phase liquids to water
on its biodegradation. Partitioning rates from dibutyl phthalate and
2,2,4,4,6,8,8-heptamethylnonane were rapid in slurries of soil or aqui
fer solids that were shaken and were affected by-the identity and volu
me of the nonaqueous-phase liquid, Concentrations of the surfactant Al
fonic 810-60 that increased partitioning inhibited biodegradation. The
rates of mass transfer from the, phthalate to water were not influenc
ed by the identity of the environmental sample. Although the rate of m
ass transfer of phenanthrene did not limit its mineralization by micro
organisms in the soil or aquifer solids, treatments that increased the
rate of partitioning enhanced biodegradation, presumably because the
treatment overcame some other factor that limited degradation of the h
ydrocarbon.