Bacterial mineralization of dibenzofuran, dibenzo-p-dioxin, and 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorbenzene in soils

Quantitative degradation of dibenzofuran (DBF), dibenzo-p-dioxin (DBD), and 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorbenzene (TeCB) by the bacterial strains sphingomonas sp. HH 69, sphingomonas sp. RW 1 and pseudomonas sp. PS 14 was investigated by radio-tracer techniques in liquid cultures and especially in samples of different soils. Pure strains converted DBF, DBD and TeCB up to 80% to CO2 within few days. This degradation occurred not only in aerated liquid cultures but also in heterogenous soils, with low levels of other pollutants at favourable pH-values. Rate and degree of the mineralization of DBF, DBD and TeCB were independent of the DBF-, DBD-, or TeCB-concentration in the soils within a broad range. There was obviously a close correlation between the starting concentration of active cells (starting bacterial count) and the rate of degradation of the test substances in soil; by raising the starting bacterial count in the soil samples, mineralization of DBF, DBD, and TeCB, respectively, was clearly accelerated. However, under nearly the same conditions in more acid soils (pH-values < 4) no significant degradation of DBF, DBD, and TeCB to CO2 took place. As expected, this difficulty can be overcome by mixing CaCO2 into the acid soils (liming). Easily utilizable substances like peptone, triolein, and glucose added as special carbon and energy sources to low contaminated soils, had only a small - if any effect on the mineralization of DBF, DBD, and TeCB. In soils contaminated by a mixture of pollutants, the bacterial strains could develop their degradation capacity only to a limited extent and showed different degradation effects depending on the basic type of contamination. The efficiency of the degradation specialists was thus dependent on the 'Chemical Environment' (type and concentration of contaminants present). (orig.)