A mixed culture of nitrate-reducing bacteria degraded o-cresol in the presence of toluene as a primary growth substrate. No degradation of o-cresol was observed in the absence of toluene or when the culture grew on p-cresol and 2,4-dimethylphenol. In batch cultures, the degradation of o-cresol started after toluene was degraded to below 0.5 to 1.0 mg/liter but continued only for about 3 to 5 days after the depletion of toluene since the culture had a limited capacity for o-cresol degradation once toluene was depleted. The total amount of o-cresol degraded was proportional to the amount of toluene metabolized, with an average yield of 0.47 mg of o-cresol degraded per mg of toluene metabolized. Experiments with [ring-U-14C]o-cresol indicated that about
Creosote‐contaminated groundwater contains a complex mixture of phenols, aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrogen‐, sulphur‐ or oxygen‐containing heterocyclic, aromatic compounds. One of the most important factors that limits the spreading of these contaminants in groundwater aquifers is degradation by subsurface micro‐organisms.
This paper gives an overview of the present knowledge about microbial degradation of creosote contaminants under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, various techniques for biological remediation of creosote‐contaminated groundwater are outlined. These techniques include enhancement of the native population of subsurface micro‐organisms to degrade the contaminants (in situ treatment) and withdrawal of the groundwater followed by treatment by various wastewater treatment processes (above‐ground treatment).
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