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Mineralization Potential for Phenol in Subsurface Soils¹

ABSTRACT

The mineralization of ¹⁴C-phenol to ¹⁴CO₂ was determined in each horizon of four contrasting soil profiles using a modification of the approach used to determine heterotrophic potential in aquatic environments. Short-term mineralization rates were determined at 12 concentrations ranging from 5 to 10 000 µg phenol kg^–1 dry soil and the data were reduced using a hyperbolic saturation model similar to that used for describing enzyme kinetics. The kinetic terms V_max and K' were estimated using nonlinear regression. Phenol was mineralized in all soil samples at each concentration examined. The V_max values ranged from 0.018 to 22.4 ng phenol kg^–1 dry soil s^–1; K' values ranged from 20 to 2355 µg phenol kg^–1 dry soil. Generally within each soil profile, V_max tended to decline with increasing depth; however, the magnitude and pattern of this decline varied widely according to soil type. The V_max in the Ap horizons (3–15 cm) ranged from 2.49 to 13.8 ng kg^–1 dry soil s^–1. The V_max in the B22t horizons (30–101 cm) ranged from 0.839 to 2.65 ng kg^–1 s^–1, and V_max in the deepest horizons (81–187 cm) ranged from 0.145 to 4.75 ng kg^–1 dry soil s^–1. This study indicates that soil horizon and soil type are important determinants of the biodegradation of phenol, a potential groundwater pollutant, as it passes through the soil column.

Key Words: biodegradation • aromatic hydrocarbons • groundwater • pollutants • soil horizons

¹ Department of Biology, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294.

² First and second authors are former Graduate Assistants. The first author is currently a Graduate Assistant, Dep. of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514; the second author is a Research Technician at Food and Drug Administration, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, AR 72079. The third author is Associate Professor, Dep. of Biology, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294; the fourth author is Staff Microbiologist, Environmental Safety Dep., Ivorydale Technical Center, Procter and Gamble Co., Cincinnati, OH 45217.

Received for publication July 31, 1986.

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