Impact of temperature on biodegradation of bulk and trace organics during soil passage in an indirect reuse system

Investigations on the behavior of bulk organics and trace organic compounds in a temperature controlled soil column system are reported. Objective of the research was to assess the importance of temperature for the degradation of bulk and trace organics. The analysis of the bulk organic behavior showed a fast mineralization of easily degradable organic carbon in the first few centimetres of the columns, which does not seem to be temperature-dependent. Along the further infiltration path an influence of the different temperatures on the bioactivity was clearly visible. However, a significant increase of mineralization potential of bulk organic compounds with increasing temperature was shown. The monitoring of the single organic pollutants Iopromide, Sulfamethoxazole and naphthalenedisulfonic acids showed that temperature has an influence on the degradation behavior of the monitored compounds. In most cases higher temperatures increased the mineralization potential.