Biodegradation of Naphthalene-Contaminated Soils in Slurry Bioreactors

The effects of naphthalene concentrations and soil constituents (sand, clay, organic matter) on biodegrading naphthalene-contaminated soils using an acclimated Flavobacterium sp. were examined in continuously stirred slurry bioreactors. Soils with and without organic matter (1%) and kaolinite clay (20%) were used. Studies showed that sorption of naphthalene can be represented by the Freundlich isotherm. Among the soils investigated, clayey soil retarded the biodegradation process the most due to its desorption characteristics. Increasing the naphthalene contamination level from 500 mg/kg to 25,000 mg/kg doubled the biodegradation time in the slurry reactor with a soil loading of 10 g/L. A pseudo first-order kinetic was observed for naphthalene biodegradation, and the biodegradation constant was determined to be 0.20 mg/L/h. A kinetic model was developed to simulate the biodegradation of naphthalene in a continuously stirred batch slurry reactor and to understand the role of solubilization (solid phase naphthalene), desorption, and biodegradation in the removal of naphthalene. Predictions using the numerical model agreed with the experimental data.