Decontamination of aged creosote polluted soil:: the influence of temperature, white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus, and pretreatment

This study investigated the effect of inoculation of white rot fungus, Pleurotus ostreatus, temperature and two pre-treatment methods on PAH degradation in aged creosote contaminated soil. It is shown that Pleurotus ostreatus has an overall positive effect on PAH degradation, and that temperature and soil pre-treatment affect this degradation. In general, adding bark and incubating at 22 degrees C before inoculation with white rot fungi has a better effect on PAH degradation than no pre-treatment, or pre-treatment with fertilizer. At low temperature (8 degrees C) fungal inoculation had best effect when fertilizer was not added, and significant effect on degradation on different groups of PAH compounds, except for the more easily degradable compounds, 3-ring PAHs and heterocyclic compounds was obtained. Pre-treatment with fertilizer stimulated microbial activity at low temperature and enhanced PAH degradation even without addition of fungi. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.