Biodegradation of Creosote and Pentachlorophenol Using Simulated Land Farming Techniques.

The objective of this project was to evaluate five land farming treatments, to determine which would best remediate creosote and pentachlorophenol contamination at and around a wood preservation treatment facility, and to determine the feasibility of applying such a treatment. These treatments were i addition of water, ii addition of white rot fungus Phanaerochete chrysosponum and water, iii addition of an inoculum of bacterial isolates and water, iv addition of a soil inoculum from a previously remediated facility and water, and v addition of sodium nitrate and water. The soil that was investigated came from a facility in Camilla, Georgia. This site had been used to impregnate a variety of wood products with creosote and PCP. The soil was so highly contaminated that only a minimal number of microorganisms could be cultured from the samples that were on hand. It is likely that those organisms which were viable evolved some ability to metabolize these pollutants. pg9. JMD