Effect of soil structure on the bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons within aggregates of a contaminated soil

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) was investigated in the whole matrix and in the different aggregate size fractions of a sandy soil contaminated by a mixture of 8 PAHs and incubated at water holding capacity. The distribution of PAHs and of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria were determined in the bulk soil and in 4 size aggregate fractions corresponding to sand, coarse silt, fine silt and clay. The microbial communities able to degrade phenanthrene were detected at a similar level in the different aggregate fractions of the soil before contamination. After soil contamination and incubation, a significant growth of bacteria was observed and their distribution within aggregates was modified. Bacterial communities of phenanthrene-degraders were present in a higher density in the aggregates corresponding to sand (2000–50 μm) and clay (<2 μm). Chemical analysis show that remaining PAHs (low and high molecular weight) were much more concentrated in the fine soil fractions (fine silt and clay) and were present at a very low content in the larger aggregate size fractions. The interactions of well defined aggregates with PAHs and bacteria were also studied using phenanthrene as PAH model substrate and individual aggregates corresponding to sand and clay size fractions. Incubation of sand and clay aggregate fractions enriched with phenanthrene in the presence of a bacterial isolate NAH1 led to the simultaneous solubilization and biodegradation of phenanthrene. Differences in amounts of solubilized phenanthrene between sand and clay aggregate size fractions would be related to difference in adsorption capacities of phenanthrene by clay and sand aggregates.