Abstract

Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the effect of soil gas oxygen concentration on the degradation and mineralization of spiked 14C-pentachlorophenol and nonlabeled pentachlorophenol (PCP) present in soil taken from a prepared-bed land treatment unit at the Champion International Superfund Site in Libby, Mont. This soil was contaminated with wood preserving wastes including creosote and PCP. Degradation rates of 14C-PCP and nonlabeled PCP were found to be enhanced under soil gas oxygen concentrations between 2 and 21% in the contaminated soil. Between 48 and 64% of 14C-PCP spiked onto the soil was mineralized after 70 days at soil gas oxygen levels between 2 and 21%. No statistically significant mineralization of PCP was found to occur at 0% oxygen concentrations. Mineralization of 14C-PCP in contaminated soil poisoned with mercuric chloride was determined to be less than 0.2%. Degradation of indigenous nonradiolabeled PCP in the nonpoisoned soil was statistically significantly greater than in po...

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