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Diffuse PAH contamination of surface soils: environmental occurrence, bioavailability, and microbial degradation

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Abstract

The purpose of this review is to recognize the scientific and environmental importance of diffuse pollution with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Diffuse PAH pollution of surface soil is characterized by large area extents, low PAH concentrations, and the lack of point sources. Urban and pristine topsoils receive a continuous input of pyrogenic PAHs, which induces a microbial potential for PAH degradation. The significance of this potential in relation to black carbon particles, PAH bioaccessibility, microbial PAH degradation, and the fate of diffuse PAHs in soil is discussed. Finally, the state-of-the-art methods for future investigations of the microbial degradation of diffuse PAH pollution are reviewed.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported financially by the Villum Kann Rasmussen Foundation (CREAM project; A. R. J.) and the European Commission (BIOTOOL project, contract GOCE 003998; U. K.).

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  1. Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Øster Voldgade 10, 1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark

    Anders R. Johnsen

  2. National Environmental Research Institute, University of Aarhus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Ulrich Karlson

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Johnsen, A.R., Karlson, U. Diffuse PAH contamination of surface soils: environmental occurrence, bioavailability, and microbial degradation. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 76, 533–543 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-007-1045-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-007-1045-2

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