In an investigation of the effect of soil on the mineralization of phenanthrene, a three-ring polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compound the presence of soil at a soil to water ratio of 1:8 appeared to limit the mineralization of phenanthrene by PAH-degrading bacteria. There is an apparent limit to the mineralization of phenanthrene obtainable in the presence of soil in a five to six week period. Since sorption onto soil appeared to limit the biomineralization of phenanthrene, it is postulated that mineralization may be enhanced by solubilization of the PAH. Commercially available surfactants at 1% dose were evaluated in biodegradation tests with soil-water systems, and appeared to have no beneficial effect on the mineralization of phenanthrene.
