IN-SITU SOIL REMEDIATION - BACTERIA OR FUNGI

Contamination of the environment is not a new problem. For most of rec orded history the unwanted by-products of industrial and residential p rocesses have been dumped into unlined pits or nearby streams. Althrou gh disposal techniques have greatly improved, significant quantities o f hazardous materials are still being released to the environment via accidental spills and leaking underground storage, tanks. One particul ar group of contaminants of critical environmental concern is polycycl ic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAN-contaminated sites typically cove r large areas; therefore, the development of in situ remediation techn iques such as bioremediation is strongly emphasized. In situations whe n inherent microorganisms are not capable of degrading the contaminant s, foreign strains must be used. Bioremediation experiments were condu cted to compare the remediation efficiencies of a bacteria and a fungu s for an industrially PAH contaminated soil. Specifically, the use of three supplemental nutrient solutions were investigated in conjunction with the bacteria Achromobacter sp. and fungus Cunninghamella echinul ata vac elegans.