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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
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Integrated Field Lysimetry and Porewater Sampling for Evaluation of Chemical Mobility in Soils and Established Vegetation
Published on: July 4, 2014
The effect of ryegrass (Lolium perenne) on decrease of PAH content in long term contaminated soil.
Jan Rezek1, Carsten in der Wiesche, Martina Mackova
1Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo n. 2, 16610 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
Chemosphere
|September 25, 2007
Summary
Long-term soil contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) showed limited biodegradation, though ryegrass cultivation enhanced PAH decline over 18 months. Some PAHs degraded, but others persisted.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Soil Science
- Bioremediation
Background:
- Soil contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) poses long-term environmental risks.
- Soil aging, a consequence of long-term contamination since World War II, was hypothesized to limit PAH biodegradation.
- Understanding PAH degradation in aged, contaminated soils is crucial for effective remediation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the biodegradation of PAHs in microecosystems with long-term contaminated soil.
- To assess the impact of ryegrass (Lolium perenne) cultivation and N-P-K fertilization on PAH degradation.
- To evaluate the influence of soil aging on the biodegradation of specific PAHs.
Main Methods:
- Microecosystems were established using soil contaminated since World War II, with and without ryegrass.
- Experiments included treatments with and without N-P-K fertilizer.
- Soil samples were analyzed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) after 12 and 18 months of cultivation.
Main Results:
- After one year, monitored PAH content decreased by 50%, with no significant differences between most microecosystems.
- Fluoranthene and pyrene showed the highest degradation rates, while Dibenz[a,h]anthracene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene showed no significant degradation.
- Vegetated microecosystems exhibited a more remarkable decline in PAH concentrations after 18 months.
Conclusions:
- Soil aging significantly limits PAH biodegradation, but some degradation occurs.
- Ryegrass cultivation can enhance PAH biodegradation over longer periods (18 months).
- Specific PAHs like Dibenz[a,h]anthracene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene are recalcitrant to biodegradation under these conditions.
