Surfactant-Enhanced Biodegradation of a PAH in Soil Slurry Reactors

This study focuses on finding operational regimes for surfactant-enhanced biodegradation. Biodegradation of phenanthrene as a model poly cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) was studied in soil slurry reactors in the presence and absence of a Triton N-101 surfactant solution. Results showed that the presence of surfactant slowed the initial biodegradation rate of phenanthrene, but increased the total mass of phenanthrene degraded over a four day period by 30%. A mathematical model was developed which simulates the biodegradation of low solubility hydrocarbons in the presence of soils and surfactants by accounting for the hydrocarbon bioavailability in different phases of the system. The model was able to simulate the experimental results using parameters and rate coefficients that were obtained through independent experiments.

The model was used to investigate the effect of different operating conditions on the overall biodegradation of phenanthrene. Simulation results showed that there is a system-specific optimum surfactant concentration range, beyond which bioremediation is hindered. The results also indicate that for a given system, the optimal surfactant concentration can be determined from simple sorption and solubility equilibrium experiments. Finally, a metric is presented for determining the potential effectiveness of surfactant-enhanced bioremediation based on the Monod and bioavailability parameters for a given system.     

Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence of synthetic surfactants.

The biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) often is limited by low water solubility and dissolution rate. Nonionic surfactants and sodium dodecyl sulfate increased the concentration of PAH in the water phase because of solubilization. The degradation of PAH was inhibited by sodium dodecyl sulfate because this surfactant was preferred as a growth substrate. Growth of mixed cultures with phenanthrene and fluoranthene solubilized by a nonionic surfactant prior to inoculation was exponential, indicating a high bioavailability of the solubilized hydrocarbons. Nonionic surfactants of the alkylethoxylate type and the alkylphenolethoxylate type with an average ethoxylate chain length of 9 to 12 monomers were toxic to a PAH-degrading Mycobacterium sp. and to several PAH-degrading mixed cultures. Toxicity of the surfactants decreased with increasing hydrophilicity, i.e., with increasing ethoxylate chain length. Nontoxic surfactants enhanced the degradation of fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene.     

Effect of surfactants on fluoranthene degradation by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas alcaligenes</Emphasis> PA-10

Two surfactants, Tween 80 and JBR, were investigated for their effect on fluoranthene degradation by a Pseudomonad. Both surfactants enhanced fluoranthene degradation by Pseudomonas alcaligenes PA-10 in shake flask culture. This bacterium was capable of utilising the synthetic surfactant and the biosurfactant as growth substrates and the critical micelle concentration of neither compound inhibited bacterial growth. The biosurfactant JBR significantly increased polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) desorption from soil. Inoculation of fluoranthene-contaminated soil microcosms with P. alcaligenes PA-10 resulted in the removal of significant amounts (45 ± 5%) of the PAH after 28 days compared to an uninoculated control. Addition of the biosurfactant increased the initial rate of fluoranthene degradation in the inoculated microcosm. The presence of a lower molecular weight PAH, phenanthrene, had a similar effect on the rate of fluoranthene removal.     

Influence of Nonionic Surfactants on Bioavailability and Biodegradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

The presence of the synthetic nonionic surfactants Triton X-100, Tergitol NPX, Brij 35, and Igepal CA-720 resulted not only in increased apparent solubilities but also in increased maximal rates of dissolution of crystalline naphthalene and phenanthrene. A model based on the assumption that surfactant micelles are formed and act as a separate phase underestimated the dissolution rates; this led to the conclusion that surfactants present at concentrations higher than the critical micelle concentration affect the dissolution process. This conclusion was confirmed by the results of batch growth experiments, which showed that the rates of biodegradation of naphthalene and phenanthrene in the dissolution-limited growth phase were increased by the addition of surfactant, indicating that the dissolution rates were higher than the rates in the absence of surfactant. In activity and growth experiments, no toxic effects of the surfactants at concentrations up to 10 g liter(sup-1) were observed. Substrate present in the micellar phase was shown to be not readily available for degradation by the microorganisms. This finding has important consequences for the application of (bio)surfactants in biological soil remediation.     

表面活性剂对分枝杆菌KR2菌株降解菲的影响

采用同位素示踪方法,从表面活性剂的浓度、离子类型和直链长度三方面研究了表面活性剂对分枝杆菌KR2菌株降解菲的影响。结果表明,表面活性剂的存在不能促进KR2菌对菲的降解;高浓度表面活性剂(≥20mg·L^-1)的存在,使菲的降解出现延迟期,非离子表面活性剂Tween80在低浓度时(≤10mg·L^-1)可以优先作为营养基质被分枝杆菌KR2菌株利用,表面活性剂的离子类型对菲降解的抑制作用的顺序为阳离子表面活性剂TDTMA>阴离子表面活性剂LAS>非离子表面活性剂Tween80,表面活性剂的直链长度对菲降解的影响为直链越短,对微生物的毒性越大,菲降解得越不完全。     

Surfactant mediated enhanced biodegradation of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers by Sphingomonas sp. NM05

Environmental biodegradation of several chlorinated pesticides is limited by their low solubility and sorption to soil surfaces. To mitigate this problem we quantified the effect of three biosurfactant viz., rhamnolipid, sophorolipid and trehalose-containing lipid on the dissolution, bioavailability, and biodegradation of HCH-isomers in liquid culture and in contaminated soil. The effect of biosurfactants was evaluated through the critical micelle concentration (CMC) value as determined for each isomer. The surfactant increased the solubilization of HCH isomers by 3-9 folds with rhamnolipid and sophorolipid being more effective and showing maximum solubilization of HCH isomers at 40 μg/mL, compared to trehalose-containing lipid showing peak solubilization at 60 μg/mL. The degradation of HCH isomers by Sphingomonas sp. NM05 in surfactant-amended liquid mineral salts medium showed 30% enhancement in 2 days as compared to degradation in 10 days in the absence of surfactant. HCH-spiked soil slurry incubated with surfactant also showed around 30-50% enhanced degradation of HCH which was comparable to the corresponding batch culture experiments. Among the three surfactants, sophorolipid offered highest solubilization and enhanced degradation of HCH isomers both in liquid medium and soil culture. The results of this study suggest the effectiveness of surfactants in improving HCH degradation by increased bioaccessibility.     

Toxicity of phenanthrene dissolved in nonionic surfactant solutions to Pseudomonas putida P2

The fraction in which direct contact occurs between micellar-phase phenanthrene and the bacterial cell surface was estimated by measuring the toxicity of nonionic surfactant (Tween 80 and Triton X-100) solutions to the phenanthrene-degrading bacterium, Pseudomonas putida P2. Cell viability of completely dissolved phenanthrene decreased by 30% at concentrations greater than 0.3 mg L(-1), which is equal to approximately one third of its solubility. Both nonionic surfactants had no effect on cell viability up to 5 g L(-1). Cell viability increased with increasing surfactant concentration at a fixed phenanthrene concentration, due to the decreased concentration of aqueous-pseudophase phenanthrene and the reduced fraction of direct contact. The fraction of direct contact was c. 20% or more below 3 g L(-1) of Triton X-100. The fraction of direct contact for Tween 80 was estimated to be lower than Triton X-100.     

Estimation of direct-contact fraction for phenanthrene in surfactant solutions by toxicity measurement

The toxicity of solutions containing nonionic surfactants Tween 80, Brij 35 and/or phenanthrene to Pseudomonas putida ATCC 17484 was investigated. The fraction of direct contact between micellar-phase phenanthrene and bacterial cell surface was estimated by using the toxicity data and a mathematical model. The mathematical model was used to calculate phenanthrene concentration in the micellar phase and aqueous pseudophase separately. The first-order death rate constant increased from 0.088+/-0.016 to 0.25+/-0.067 h(-1) when the phenanthrene concentration was increased from 0 to 5.17 x 10(-6)M (equals water solubility). The intrinsic toxicity of surfactant was higher in Brij 35 than in Tween 80. When phenanthrene concentration was increased to 9.7 x 10(-5)M in surfactant solutions, the death rate constant increased to 1.8 +/- 0.024 and 0.41 +/- 0.088 h(-1) for 8.4 x 10(-4)M Brij 35 and 7.6 x 10(-4)M Tween 80. The direct-contact fraction was 0.083 and 0.044 for Brij 35 and Tween 80, respectively, under these conditions using exponential model. The toxicity increased with increasing phenanthrene concentration at a fixed surfactant concentration. The toxicity decreased with increasing the surfactant concentration at a fixed phenanthrene concentration due to decreased contact of bacteria with phenanthrene present in the interior of surfactant micelles.     

Simultaneous phenanthrene and cadmium removal from contaminated soil by a ligand/biosurfactant solution

Surfactants and inorganic ligands are pointed as efficient to simultaneous removal of heavy metals and hydrophobic organic pollutants from soil. However, the biosurfactants are potentially less toxic to soil organisms than other chemical agents. Thus, in this study the efficiency of combinations of iodide (I⁻) ligand and surfactants produced by different bacterial species in the simultaneous removal of cadmium (Cd²⁺) and phenanthrene in a Haplustox soil sample was investigated. Four microbial surfactants and the synthetic surfactant Triton X-100 were tested with different concentrations of ligand. Soil samples contaminated with Cd²⁺ and phenanthrene underwent consecutive washings with a surfactant/ligand solution. The removal of Cd²⁺ increased with increased ligand concentration, particularly in solutions containing biosurfactants produced by the bacterial strains Bacillus subtilis LBBMA155 (lipopeptide) and Flavobacterium sp. LBBMA168 (mixture of flavolipids) and Triton X-100. Maximum Cd²⁺ removal efficiency was 99.2% for biosurfactant produced by Arthrobacter oxydans LBBMA 201 (lipopeptide) and 99.2% for biosurfactant produced by Bacillus sp. LBBMA111A (mixed lipopeptide) in the presence of 0.336 mol iodide l⁻¹, while the maximum efficiency of Triton X-100 removal was 65.0%. The biosurfactant solutions removed from 80 to 88.0% of phenanthrene in soil, and the removal was not influenced by the presence of the ligand. Triton X-100 removed from 73 to 88% of the phenanthrene and, differently from the biosurfactants, iodide influenced the removal efficiency. The results indicate that the use of a single washing agent, called surfactant-ligand, affords simultaneous removal of organic contaminants and heavy metals.     

Naphthalene,phenanthrene and surfactant biodegradation

The impact of surfactants on naphthalene and phenanthrene biodegradation and vice versa after surfactant flushing were evaluated using two anionic surfactants: sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS); and two nonionic surfactants: POE (20) sorbitan monooleate (T-maz-80) and octylphenol poly(ethyleneoxy) ethanol (CA-620). Naphthalene and phenanthrene biodegradation varied differently in the presence of different surfactants. Naphthalene biodegradation was not impacted by the presence of SDS. In the presence of T-maz-80 and CA-620, naphthalene biodegradation occurred at a lower rate (0.14 d^-1 for T-maz-80 and 0.19 d^-1 for CA-620) as compared to un-amended control (0.29 d^-1). Naphthalene biodegradation was inhibited by the presence of SDBS. In the presence of SDS, phenanthrene biodegradation occurred at a lower rate (0.10 d^-1 as compared to un-amended control of 0.17 d^-1) and the presence of SDBS, CA-620 and T-maz-80 inhibited phenanthrene biodegradation. The surfactants also responded differently to the presence of naphthalene and phenanthrene. In the presence of naphthalene, SDS biodegradation was inhibited; SDBS and T-maz-80 depleted at a lower rate (0.41d^-1 and 0.12 d^-1 as compared to 0.48 d^-1 and 0.22 d^-1). In the absence of naphthalene, CA-620 was not degradable, while in the presence of naphthalene, CA-620 began to degrade at a comparatively low rate (0.12 d^-1). In the presence of phenanthrene, SDS biodegradation occurred at a lower rate (1.2 d^-1 as compared to 1.68 d^-1) and a similar trend was observed for T-maz-80. The depletion of SDBS and CA-620 did not change significantly. The choice of SDS for naphthalene-contaminated sites would not adversely affect the natural attenuation of naphthalene, in addition, naphthalene was preferentially utilized to SDS by naphthalene-acclimated microorganisms. Therefore, SDS was the best choice. T-maz-80 was also found to be usable in naphthalene-contaminated sites. For phenanthrene contaminated sites, SDS was the only choice.     

Quantifying the biodegradation of phenanthrene by Pseudomonas stutzeri P16 in the presence of a nonionic surfactant.

The low water solubility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is believed to limit their availability to microorganisms, which is a potential problem for bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-contaminated sites. Surfactants have been suggested to enhance the bioavailability of hydrophobic compounds, but both negative and positive effects of surfactants on biodegradation have been reported in the literature. Earlier, we presented mechanistic models of the effects of surfactants on phenanthrene dissolution and on the biodegradation kinetics of phenanthrene solubilized in surfactant micelles. In this study, we combined the biodegradation and dissolution models to quantify the influence of the surfactant Tergitol NP-10 on biodegradation of solid-phase phenanthrene by Pseudomonas stutzeri P16. Although micellized phenanthrene does not appear to be available directly to the bacterium, the ability of the surfactant to increase the phenanthrene dissolution rate resulted in an overall increase in bacterial growth rate in the presence of the surfactant. Experimental observations could be predicted well by the derived model with measured biokinetic and dissolution parameters. The proposed model therefore can serve as a base case for understanding the physical-chemical effects of surfactants on nonaqueous hydrocarbon bioavailability.     

Phenanthrene Emulsification and Biodegradation Using Rhamnolipid Biosurfactants and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus In Vitro

The ability of biosurfactants and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus to enhance the emulsification and biodegradation of phenanthrene was investigated. Phenanthrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon that may be derived from various sources, for example incomplete combustion of petroleum fuel, and thus it occurs ubiquitously throughout the environment. In order to assess the efficacy of a biosurfactant microparticle system, emulsification assays and in vitro biodegradation studies were conducted. Emulsification assays were carried out to assess the stability of phenanthrene emulsions. Emulsion stability was determined by the height of the emulsion layer (Emulsification Index) and turbidity. In vitro biodegradation tests were done to estimate phenanthrene degradation from an aqueous system by A. calcoaceticus supplemented with encapsulated (ERhBS) and nonencapsulated biosurfactants (NERhBS). Results show that phenanthrene emulsifications were stabilized after 48 h with NERhBS and remained stable for 72 additional hours. Phenanthrene emulsifications were stabilized with ERhBS after 216 h and remained stable for an additional 96 h. A. calcoaceticus alone and supplemented with rhamnolipid biosurfactant were able to biodegrade 10 to 50 mg L^?1 of phenanthrene within 250 h. When supplemented with NERhBS, A. calcoaceticus degraded phenanthrene significantly faster than when nonsupplemented or supplemented with ERhBS. Addition of exogenous biosurfactants was considered to be a major factor driving the direct correlation between decreasing phenanthrene concentration in the system and increasing bacterial biomass.     

Molecular analysis of surfactant-driven microbial population shifts in hydrocarbon-contaminated soil

We analyzed the impact of surfactant addition on hydrocarbon mineralization kinetics and the associated population shifts of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms in soil. A mixture of radiolabeled hexadecane and phenanthrene was added to batch soil vessels. Witconol SN70 (a nonionic, alcohol ethoxylate) was added in concentrations that bracketed the critical micelle concentration (CMC) in soil (CMC') (determined to be 13 mg g(-1)). Addition of the surfactant at a concentration below the CMC' (2 mg g(-1)) did not affect the mineralization rates of either hydrocarbon. However, when surfactant was added at a concentration approaching the CMC' (10 mg g(-1)), hexadecane mineralization was delayed and phenanthrene mineralization was completely inhibited. Addition of surfactant at concentrations above the CMC' (40 mg g(-1)) completely inhibited mineralization of both phenanthrene and hexadecane. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rRNA gene segments showed that hydrocarbon amendment stimulated Rhodococcus and Nocardia populations that were displaced by Pseudomonas and Alcaligenes populations at elevated surfactant levels. Parallel cultivation studies revealed that the Rhodococcus population can utilize hexadecane and that the Pseudomonas and Alcaligenes populations can utilize both Witconol SN70 and hexadecane for growth. The results suggest that surfactant applications necessary to achieve the CMC alter the microbial populations responsible for hydrocarbon mineralization.     

The role of salicylate and biosurfactant in inducing phenanthrene degradation in batch soil slurries

The majority of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) sorb strongly to soil organic matter posing a complex barrier to biodegradation. Biosurfactants can increase soil-sorbed PAHs desorption, solubilisation, and dissolution into the aqueous phase, which increases the bioavailability of PAHs for microbial metabolism. In this study, biosurfactants, carbon sources, and metabolic pathway inducers were tested as stimulators of microorganism degradation. Phenanthrene served as a model PAH and Pseudomonas putida ATCC 17484 was used as the phenanthrene degrading microorganism for the liquid solutions and soil used in this investigation. Bench-scale trials demonstrated that the addition of rhamnolipid biosurfactant increases the apparent aqueous solubility of phenanthrene, and overall degradation by at least 20% when combined with salicylate or glucose in liquid solution, when compared to solutions that contained salicylate or glucose with no biosurfactant. However, salicylate addition, with no biosurfactant addition, increased the total degradation of phenanthrene 30% more than liquid systems with only biosurfactant addition. In soil slurries, small amounts of biosurfactant (0.25 g/L) showed a significant increase in total removal when only biosurfactant was added. In soil slurries containing salicylate, the effects of biosurfactant additions were negligible as there was greater than 90% removal, regardless of the biosurfactant concentration. The results of experiments performed in this study provide further evidence that an in situ enhancement strategy for phenanthrene degradation could focus on providing additional carbon substrates to induce metabolic pathway catabolic enzyme production, if degradation pathway intermediates are known.     

Effects of Bacillus subtilis O9 biosurfactant on the bioremediation of crude oil-polluted soils

The application of a surfactant from Bacillus subtilis O9 (Bs) on the bioremediation of soils polluted with crude oil was assayed in soil microcosms under laboratory conditions. Three concentrations of biosurfactant were assayed (1.9, 19.5, and 39 mg kg(-1) soil). Microcosms without biosurfactant were prepared as controls. During the experiment, the crude oil-degrading bacterial population, the aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were monitored in each microcosm. The results indicated that applying Bs did not negatively affect the hydrocarbon-degrading microbial population Concentrations of 19 and 19.5mg (Bs) per kilogram of soil stimulated the growth of the population involved in the crude oil degradation, and accelerated the biodegradation of the aliphatic hydrocarbons. However, none of the assayed Bs concentrations stimulated aromatic hydrocarbon degradation.     

Biodegradation Kinetics of Phenanthrene by a Fusant Strain

The fusant strain (F14), which produced by protoplast fusion between Sphingomonas sp. GY2B (GenBank DQ139343) and Pseudomonas sp. GP3A (GenBank EU233280), was tested for phenanthrene biodegradation at 30 °C and pH of 7.0. The kinetics of phenanthrene biodegradation by F14 was investigated over a wide range of initial concentration (15-1,000 mg l(-1)). The rate and the extent of phenanthrene degradation increased with the increase of concentration up to 230 mg l(-1), which indicated negligible inhibition effect at low concentrations. The non-competitive inhibition model was found to be fit for the process. GC-MS analysis showed that biodegradation of phenanthrene by F14 was via dioxygenation at both 1,2- and 3,4-positions and followed by 2-hydroxy-1-naphthoic acid and 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid. The relative intensity of 2-hydroxy-1-naphthoic acid was approximately 3-4 times higher than that of 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, indicating the 2-hydroxy-1-naphthoic acid was the predominant product in the phenanthrene degradation by fusant strain F14.     

糖脂类生物表面活性剂的特性及其对白腐真菌降解蒽的强化作用

【目的】对铜绿假单胞菌(Pseudomonas aeruginosa)所产生物表面活性剂的稳定性进行分析,考察该生物表面活性剂对乳白耙齿菌F17(Irpex lacteus F17)降解蒽的强化作用。【方法】采用三氯甲烷萃取的方法从铜绿假单胞菌的发酵液中提取生物表面活性剂,采用表/界面张力仪测定该生物表面活性剂在不同条件下的表面张力值,对其进行稳定性研究。在乳白耙齿菌F17降解蒽的过程中加入适量的生物表面活性剂,测定蒽的降解率,探讨其对蒽生物降解的强化作用。【结果】铜绿假单胞菌所产生物表面活性剂的临界胶束浓度为40 mg/L,在15-150°C及pH 6.0-13.0范围内表现出优良的稳定性,对盐浓度的耐受性也很高。在蒽的生物降解过程中,生物表面活性剂能极大地促进蒽的降解,在生物表面活性剂浓度为50 mg/L时,第15天蒽的降解率达到了82.9%。生物表面活性剂在接种乳白耙齿菌F17前1天加入培养基中,能更好地促进蒽的降解。与化学表面活性剂相比,生物表面活性剂对蒽降解的强化作用更显著。【结论】该生物表面活性剂性能优良、稳定性好,能够显著强化乳白耙齿菌F17对蒽的降解,具有良好的应用前景。     

Effects of nonionic surfactants on the solubilization and mineralization of phenanthrene in soil-water systems

The solubilization and mineralization of (14)C-phenanthrene in soil-water systems was examined with several commercially available surface-active agents, viz., an alkyl ethoxylate C(12)E(4); two alkylphenol ethoxylate surfactants: C(8)PE(9.5) and C(9)PE(10.5); two sorbitan ethoxylate surfactants: the sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20) and the sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80); two pairs of nonionic ethoxylate surfactant mixtures: C(12)E(4)/C(12)E(23) at a 1:1 ratio, and C(12-15)E(3)/C(12-15)E(9) at a 1:3 ratio; and two surfactants possessing relatively high critical micelle concentration (CMC) values and low aggregation numbers: CHAPS and octyglucoside. Surface tension experiments were performed to evaluate surfactant sorption onto soil and the surfactant doses required to attain the CMC in the soil-water systems. Surfactant solubilization of (14)C-phenanthrene commenced with the onset of micellization. The addition of surface-active agents was observed not to be beneficial to the microbial mineralization of phenanthrene in the soil-water systems and, for supra-CMC surfactant doses, phenanthrene mineralization was completely inhibited for all the surfactants tested. A comparison of solubilization, surface tension, and mineralization data confirms that the inhibitory effect on microbial degradation of phenanthrene is related to the CMC of the surfactant in the presence of soil. Additional tests demonstrated the recovery of mineralization upon dilution of surfactant concentration to sub-CMC levels, and a relatively high exit rate for phenanthrene from micelles. These tests suggest that the inhibitory effect is probably related to a reversible physiological surfactant micelle-bacteria interaction, possibly through partial complexing or release of membrane material with disrupting membrane lamellar structure. This study indicates that nonionic surfactant solubilization of sorbed hydrophobic organic compounds from soil may not be beneficial for the concomitant enhancement of soil bioremediation. Additional work is needed to address physicochemical processes for bioavailability enhancement, and effects of solubilizing agents on microorganisms for remediation and treatment of hydrophobic organic compounds and nonaqueous phase liquids. (c) 1992 John Wiley & Sons Inc.     

Biodegradation of phenanthrene by the indigenous microbial biomass in a zinc amended soil

AIMS: To study the effect of zinc on the biodegradation of phenanthrene by the microbial biomass in soil. METHODS AND RESULTS: Uncontaminated soil was amended with zinc and phenanthrene as single or co-contaminants, and microbial metabolic activity was measured using an intracellular dehydrogenase enzyme bioassay over 37 days. Contaminants were amended at optimum, action and double the action level specified in 'The New Dutch List' (Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment, the Netherlands, 2000). Microbial activity in soils with zinc or phenanthrene alone indicated the presence of tolerant, albeit inhibited soil micro-organisms. A zinc concentration at the optimum level of 140 mg kg(-1) in the co-contaminated soil (phenanthrene at 40 mg kg(-1)) resulted in marginal stimulation of the rate of phenanthrene biodegradation. However, Zn2+ concentrations at the action and double the action level of zinc (720 and 1440 mg kg(-1)) inhibited phenanthrene degradation. CONCLUSIONS: Biodegradation of phenanthrene in soils co-contaminated with zinc at concentrations above the action value is impeded. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Bioremediation efforts to remove polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in zinc co-contaminated soils are likely to be constrained.