Electrokinetic-Assisted Bioremediation of Field Soil with Historic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Contamination

Abstract

Abstract The combined technology of electrokinetic (EK)-assisted bioremediation was used on field soil from a Beijing Coking Plant in China to assess its feasibility in remediating field soils. Total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentration in the soil was 91.4 mg/kg, with a high level of high-molecular-weight PAHs. During 200 days of EK-assisted bioremediation, neutral soil pH was maintained by periodically changing the direction of the electronic field. Electrical conductivity of the soil in the EK cell was higher than that in the control soil. Meanwhile, ammonium and phosphate could be effectively injected into the soil by the electric field. Degradation rates of all 16 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) priority PAHs at different sampling positions in the EK cell were twice as high as those in the control soil. The number of PAH degraders in the EK cell was enhanced compared to those in the control at the end of the experiment. Polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel elect...