Effect of organic matter and clays on the biodegradation of phenanthrene in soils

Soil organic matter and clays represent an important hinderance for bioremediation technologies, as they may cause a retardation in the biological removal of hydrophobic pollutants. To overcome this limitation it is necessary to understand how these two soil constituents influence biodegradation. The results herein reported suggest that the bioavailability of phenanthrene in soils is affected not only by sorption to the organic matter or clays, but also by the interaction of phenanthrene with humic fractions-clay complexes. | Soil organic matter and clays represent an important hindrance for bioremediation technologies, as they may cause a retardation in the biological removal of hydrophobic pollutants. To overcome this limitation it is necessary to understand how these two soil constituents influence biodegradation. The results herein reported suggest that the bioavailability of phenanthrene in soils is affected not only by sorption to the organic matter or clays, but also by the interaction of phenanthrene with humic fractions-clay complexes.Peer Reviewe