Ringe (former coal-tar storage) and B&W shipyard soils

MycoremediationField pilot

Pleurotus ostreatus

Hestbjerg, Willumsen, Christensen, Andersen and Jacobsen mixed into the soils the refuse substrate of commercial Pleurotus ostreatus production, outdoors, in concrete cylinders (50 cm × 60 cm) in triplicate, with controls without additions and with autoclaved sawdust; 21 PAHs measured.

Outcome In the Ringe soil, after nine weeks, 3-ring PAHs had fallen by 78% and 4-ring ones by 41%, while 5–6-ring ones by only 4%. The reduction went with high initial laccase activity and a rise in degrading bacteria. The heaviest compounds, the most toxic, were left almost untouched.

• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

• Hestbjerg et al., Bioaugmentation of tar-contaminated soils under field conditions using Pleurotus ostreatus refuse from commercial mushroom production, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2003