Effect of concentration on sequestration and bioavailability of two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

A study was conducted to determine the effect of concentration on sequestration and bioavailability of phenanthrene and pyrene in soil. The compounds at 1.0, 10, and 100 mg/kg of soil became increasingly resistant to a mild solvent extraction and progressively less bioavailable to earthworms (Eisenia foetida) as a result of aging for 120 days. Aging also resulted in both compounds at 1.0 and 10 mg/kg and phenanthrene but not pyrene at 100 mg/kg becoming more resistant to microbial degradation. Increasing the concentration led to an increase in the percentages of the unaged and aged compounds that were susceptible to microbial degradation. Some of each of the two compounds was still available to earthworms following biodegradation. The data show that sequestration of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons occurs at both low and high concentrations.