Effect of Electrokinetic on Biodegradation of Fluorene and Phenanthrene in Soil

Bioremediation of soil contaminated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was studied using Bacillus subtilis DSMZ 3256 (B.subtilis) strains. The effect of electrokinetics on biodegradation of PAH was investigated. Fluorene and phenanthrene as selected PAHs were mixed with soil. The bioremediation experiments were initially performed at 30°C and different humidities. The biodegradation percentages of fluorene and phenanthrene after 7 days at 40% relative humidity were 12.2 and 11.9%, respectively. The effects of electrokinetics on this process were studied at different current densities. It was found that the electrokinetic can accelerate the biodesulfurization rate. According to the results, the removal percentages of fluorene and phenanthrene after 4 days under current density of 1.82 mA/cm2 were 39.4 and 37.2, respectively.