This paper compares the results of biodegradation experiments with creosote
compounds performed at different scales. The experiments include field obs
ervations, field experiments, large-scale intact laboratory column experime
nts, model fracture experiments, and batch experiments. Most of the experim
ents were conducted with till or ground water from the field site at Ringe
on the island of Funen. Although the experiments were conducted on differen
t scales, they revealed that some phenomena-e.g., an extensive biodegradati
on potential of several of the creosote compounds, the inhibitory influence
of the pyrroles on the biodegradation of benzene, and the biodegradation o
f benzothiophene occurs only in the presence of a primary substrate. The ex
periments show that some biodegradation processes of organic compounds may
be common to different microorganisms.