Abstrakt
The ecotoxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soil originating from a brownfield was evaluated during a 12-month composting pilot test. The initial total content of PAHs in the soil was 1723.5 μg gMINUS SIGN 1 dry weight.
The composting process showed to be a very efficient tool in the removal of PAHs from the soil. Recovery of PAH sum was 38.5% after 6 weeks of the composting phase, 28.4% after 14 weeks of the maturation phase and 4.5% after an additional 200-day outdoor maturation.
For ecotoxicity evaluation the bacterium Vibrio fischeri, mustard Sinapis alba, duckweed Lemna minor, earthworm Eisenia fetida and the crustacean Heterocypris incongruens were used. The highest toxicity effect was detected in the first period of composting.
The decrease in PAHs concentrations during composting correlated with the reduction of soil ecotoxicity, however the ecotoxicity results varied according to the type of the test method.