Degradation of Selected PAHs in Soil/Compost and Identification of Intermediates

Authors:
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Solvent-extractable degradation products of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons formed in a soil/compost mixture were analysed using a clean-up procedure including solid phase extraction. From glass columns, containing silica gel deactivated with 6% water, two fractions were eluted: a moderately polar fraction of ketones and quinones and a more polar fraction of phenolic compounds and organic acids. Such oxidation products were identified using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometrv. Applying this method to a degradation study on four selected PAHs in soil/compost mixtures. 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid could be found in the system fortified with phenanthrene. and 9-fluorenol and 9-fluorenone were identified as degradation products of fluorone. The occurrence of the latter in sterilized controls show, that PAH metabolism is accompanied by abiotic degradation mechanisms.

This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit: