Surfactant Enhancement Of White-rot Pah

Creosote and coal-tar pollution of soils at former wood-preserving sites represents a considerable publichealth hazard. This is due primarily to the acute toxicity and genotoxicity of polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons (PAHs) in creosote and coal-tar. The majority of genotoxic effects are caused by high-molecular-weight PAH's (6 or more conjugated benzene rings).Bioremediation - the detoxification of hazardous substances using live micro-organisms - has beenextensively studied for treatment of PAH-contaminated sites. One of the most promisingbioremediation technologies employs white-rot fungi; these organisms are capable of extensivedegradation of nearly all PAHs under idealized laboratory conditions. In the field, however, removalof high-molecular-weight PAHs is seldom seen.The program proposed herein would investigate the use of surfactant- or surfactant/lipid-basedformulations to enhance removal of high-molecular weight PAHs from soil by white-rot fungi.