No / This study aims to determine the concentration of 16 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban soils from Leeds in order to determine what the factors are controlling their distribution and abundances. Soil samples were collected across an area from Leeds. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using selected ion monitoring (SIM) was used to identify and quantify PAHs in the soil samples with the aid of PAH external standards. The results showed the highest concentrations of total PAHs in sample L8 (1344 ng/g) taken from an area located near a parking site and road in Leeds and the lowest total concentration of the 16 PAHs in sample L16 (87 ng/g) taken from a private garden. The ratio of anthracene to anthracene plus phenanthrene AN/(AN + PH), fluoranthene to fluoranthene plus pyrene FLU/(PY+FLU) and benzo[a]anthracene to 228 (BaA/228) implied that the PAHs pollution originated from pyrogenic, biomass and petroleum combustion in the samples which were collected from Leeds city.

Yes / This study aims to determine the concentration of 16 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban soils from Leeds in order to determine what the factors are controlling their distribution and abundances. Soil samples were collected across an area from Leeds. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using selected ion monitoring (SIM) was used to identify and quantify PAHs in the soil samples with the aid of PAH external standards. The results showed the highest concentrations of total PAHs in sample L8 (1344 ng/g) taken from an area located near a parking site and road in Leeds and the lowest total concentration of the 16 PAHs in sample L16 (87 ng/g) taken from a private garden. The ratio of anthracene to anthracene plus phenanthrene AN/(AN + PH), fluoranthene to fluoranthene plus pyrene FLU/(PY+FLU) and benzo[a]anthracene to 228 (BaA/228) implied that the PAHs pollution originated from pyrogenic, biomass and petroleum combustion in the samples which were collected from Leeds city.

The prenatal period of development is uniquely susceptible to lasting harmful health effects from exposure to environmental toxicants. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants which have a wide variety of associated health effects, including impaired neurodevelopment when exposure occurs in-utero. While a handful of mechanisms have been implicated in PAH neurodevelopmental toxicity, none fully resolve the intricate biological processes that contribute to these outcomes. Mitochondria are increasingly being studied as sensitive targets of many environmental toxicants including PAHs. Despite the known mitochondrial sensitivity to PAHs, and the role of mitochondrial functions in neurodevelopment, little research has been done to evaluate mitochondrial dysfunction as mechanism of PAH neurodevelopmental toxicity. The work of this dissertation seeks to investigate a number of questions on this topic using a wide variety of techniques. We study exposure sources of individual PAHs, the relationship between prenatal PAH exposure constituents and mitochondrial functional outcomes and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) in multiple biospecimens, including windows of exposure. We employ both epidemiological and experimental techniques, leveraging the advantages of one approach against the weakness of another to draw robust conclusions. Chapter 2 begins by comprehensively studying the demographic and behavioral variables predictive of personal PAH exposure. We combined a significant amount of personal exposure data collected using silicone wristbands with prenatal questionnaires to identify variables most predictive of both exposure to individual PAH compounds and total exposure. This work revealed complex relationships between multiple parameters in the prediction of each individual PAH. We found demographic and socioeconomic variables to be the most common predictors of exposure, followed by behavior variables. This work provides the foundation to identify pathways to reduce exposure and protecting the most vulnerable populations. In chapter 3, we describe two epidemiological studies conducted in Northern Manhattan birth cohorts. The first study uses data from the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) Fair Start cohort. We measured mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) in umbilical cord tissue, a novel biospecimen with unique utility due to its ease of acquisition and homogenous cellular composition. We measured individual exposure to 63 PAH compounds using silicone wristband samplers and analyze this data using both individual models and quantile G computation to estimate the overall mixture effect. We identified three compounds associated with mtDNAcn in individual models, and a positive association between the mixture of 19 compounds and mtDNAcn. In the second study we expanded upon previous analyses in the CCCEH Mothers and Newborns cohort which had demonstrated an association between summed-total prenatal exposure to 8 carcinogenic PAHs and scores on the Bayley Scale of Infant Development-II at age 3. We used measures of mtDNAcn in umbilical cord blood to evaluate the role of mitochondrial toxicity in PAH neurodevelopment and improved upon prior studies by including adjustment for cell type composition. We utilized both traditional linear model approaches as well as quantile G computation to evaluate the mixture both as a sum-total and using newly developed mixture methods. We determined that while prenatal PAH exposure was negatively associated with umbilical cord blood mtDNAcn using mixtures methods mtDNAcn was not associated with neurodevelopment. The bidirectional effect of prenatal PAH exposure on mtDNAcn between these two studies reveals the complexity of mtDNAcn as a biomarker and the need for more direct measures of mitochondrial functions in the study of PAH neurodevelopmental toxicity. Chapter 4 seeks to complement the epidemiological research with an experimental system. Using mouse preimplantation embryos, we measured the effect of exposure to an environmentally relevant mixture of PAHs on morphological development, superoxide production, mitochondria membrane potential, and mtDNAcn. We found exposure to low levels of a PAH mixture from days 2.5-3.5 post fertilization caused a significant decrease in healthy embryo morphology and a reduction in mtDNAcn. PAH exposure increased mitochondrial membrane potential under several dosing regimens while the effect on superoxide levels was variable and potentially mediated by changes in mitochondrial mass. As a whole these results indicate mitochondrial dysfunction as a result of low-level PAH exposure during the earliest periods of development with a window of heightened susceptibility immediately prior to implantation. In chapter 5 we evaluate the relative mitochondrial potency of the 8 commonly studied carcinogenic PAHs and an environmental relevant mixture of those 8 compounds. Using human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells, we specifically study these effects in the context of prenatal development. Superoxide production, mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial mass, cell death and mtDNAcn was quantified at 9 doses for each exposure. This data was used to fit dose response curves and determine relative potency of each exposure/outcome endpoint. We identified benzo[k]fluoranthene and chrysene among the most toxic compounds analyzed and noted differences between relative mitochondrial toxicity and carcinogenicity of these constituents emphasizing the need for continued research into the non-cancer endpoints of PAH exposure. With the intentional comparable exposures and outcomes utilized in these studies comes the opportunity to make connections and draw conclusions across chapters to arrive at four major conclusion: (1) Demographic variables, not behavior, are most predictive of exposure to many PAH compounds (2) prenatal PAH exposure affects multiple measures of mitochondrial functions, (3) there is variability in the susceptibility during early development, and (4) the developmental mitochondrial toxicity of previously studied PAH compounds does not follow the same patterns of relative potency seen in carcinogenesis. This work provides significant insight into the impact of prenatal PAH exposure on mitochondrial functions while highlighting critical areas for further research. More studies are needed to fully understand the mechanisms and long-term effects of PAH exposure on early development, as well as to identify effective interventions to mitigate these risks.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exhibit a rich spectrum of physicochemical properties depending on the size and, more critically, on the edge and bond topologies. Among them, open-shell systems - molecules hosting unpaired electron densities - represent an important class of materials for organic electronic, spintronic, and optoelectronic devices, but remain challenging to synthesize in solution. We report the on-surface synthesis and scanning tunneling microscopy- and spectroscopybased study of two ultralow-gap open-shell molecules, namely peri-tetracene, a benzenoid graphene fragment with zigzag edge topology, and dibenzo[a,m]dicyclohepta-[bcde,nopq]rubicene, a nonbenzenoid nonalternant structural isomer of peri-tetracene with two embedded azulene units. Our results provide an understanding of the ramifications of altered bond topologies at the single-molecule scale, with the prospect of designing functionalities in carbon-based nanostructures via engineering of bond topology.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of ubiquitous environmental contaminants with two or more aromatic rings and originating from different emission sources. They are extremely toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic to human, animals and plants. Consequently, the need to expand economical and practical remediation technologies for PAH contaminated sites is evident. In this study, the effect of biotic and abiotic factors on degradation of PAH was studied. The degradation was studied on the key model PAH (phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene) in J. Arthur Bower’s top soil. The hypothesis for this study was that roadside soil would contain PAH degrading bacteria; pH would influence the microbial degradation of PAH, chemical oxidation of PAH would be as efficient as microbial breakdown of PAH and mobilising agents, would move PAH throughout soil, potentially making the PAH more available for biodegradation. The greatest degradations were found for the lowest molecular weight PAH, phenanthrene and anthracene; whilst lowest degradation was observed for higher molecular weight PAH, fluoranthene and pyrene. Twelve bacteria genera were isolated and identified by biochemical and molecular techniques from the roadside soil with the four PAHs as the sole carbon source. However, potentially new PAH biodegrader bacteria species and a novel were found in this study, which was not reported in the literature. The effect of pH between 5.0 and 8.0 at half pH intervals on biodegradation of the four PAHs and on bacterial populations in the soil over 32 days was monitored. The greatest population of bacteria and greatest biodegradation for the four PAHs was found at pH of 7.5. It is likely that the general increase in population was also linked with greater metabolic activities of bacteria at basic pHs which assists pollutant biodegradation. Although there is high pollutant mobility at low pHs, the biodegradation was limited due to reduced microbial activity. High pHs resulted in greater PAH biodegradation suggesting that pH manipulation by liming may be an effective way of stimulating biodegradation of PAH. The effect of potassium permanganate on oxidation of the four PAHs in the soil was examined. Studies in this thesis, indicated that potassium permanganate had a significant (p<0.05) effect on oxidation of the four PAHs at pH 7.5 over 35 days. However in comparison to biodegradation, chemical oxidation has significantly (p<0.05) less effect. Finally, the effect of Tween 20 only on translocation and biodegradation of the four PAHs at pH 7.5 over 35 days was examined. Studies indicated that Tween 20 had significantly (p<0.05) enhanced translocation of the four PAHs in the sterile soil. Moreover, the greatest biodegradation was found in the soil inoculated with only the roadside soil microorganisms but without Tween 20. This suggested that Tween 20 had a significant (p<0.05) inhibitory effect on the roadside soil microorganisms and therefore less microorganism were grown in the soil containing Tween 20. This indicated that Tween 20 was translocated PAH, but inhibited breakdown. This study indicated microbial biodegradation was the most effective technique for removing of the PAH from contaminated soil, which was cost effective and easier to perform in comparison to the other two techniques. Microbial biodegradation could be improved by adjusting pH through liming if soil was acid.

Biodiesel use and production has significantly increased in the United States and in other parts of the world in the past decade. This change is driven by energy security and global climate legislation mandating reductions in the use of petroleum-based diesel. Recent air quality research has shown that emission of some pollutants such as CO, particulate matter (PM), SO2, hydrocarbons, and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is greatly reduced with biodiesel. However, studies have also shown that some unregulated emissions, such as gas-phase carbonyls, are increased with biodiesel combustion. Very limited research has been done to investigate the particle-phase carbonyl and quinone emissions from biodiesel combustion. Also, very limited studies have investigated the ozone oxidation of biodiesel exhaust PM. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) are found in high abundance in biodiesel exhaust PM. The presence of these FAMEs in biodiesel exhaust PM can potentially alter the kinetics of the reactions between ozone and particle-phase PAHs. In this study, an Armfield CM-12 automotive light-duty diesel engine operated on a transient drive cycle was used to generate PM from various waste vegetable oil (WVO) and soybean biodiesel blends (containing 0%, (B00), 10% (B10), 20% (B20), 50% (B50), and 100% (B100) biodiesel by volume). The primary PM emissions were sampled using Teflon-coated fiberfilm filters. Laboratory PAHs, FAMEs, and B20 exhaust PM were exposed to ~0.4 ppm ozone for time periods ranging from 0-24 hours in order to study the effect of FAMEs and biodiesel exhaust PM on the ozonolysis of PAHs. Organic chemical analysis of samples was performed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). PAHs, carbonyls, FAMEs, and n-alkanes were quantified in the exhaust PM of petrodiesel, WVO and soybean fuel blends. The emission rates of the total PAHs in B10, B20, B50, and B100 exhaust PM decreased by 0.006-0.071 ng/µg (5-51%) compared to B00, while the emission rates for the FAMEs increased with increasing biodiesel content in the fuel. The emission rates of the total n-alkanes in B10, B20, B50, and B100 exhaust PM decreased by 0.5-21.3 ng/µg (4-86%) compared to B00 exhaust PM. The total emission rates of the aliphatic aldehydes in biodiesel exhaust PM (B10, B20, B50, and B100) increased by 0.019-2.485 ng/µg (36-4800%) compared to petrodiesel. The emission rates of the total aromatic aldehydes, total aromatic ketones, and total quinones all generally decreased with increasing biodiesel content in the fuel. With the exception of benzo[a]pyrene, the pseudo-first order ozone reaction rate constants of all the PAHs decreased by 1.2-8 times in the presence of the FAMEs. Phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene were the only PAHs detected in the B20 exhaust PM, and their ozone reaction rate constants were about 4 times lower than those obtained when the PAHs alone were exposed to ozone. The findings of this study indicate that there are both positive and negative effects to emissions associated with biodiesel use in light-duty diesel engines operating on transient drive cycle.

Les hydrocarbures aromatiques polycycliques (HAP) sont des polluants persistants très répandus dans les écosystèmes du monde entier. L’utilisation des microorganismes pour la dégradation des HAP est une méthode économique et ayant un grand potentiel. Ce travail avait pour objectif d’étudier la dissolution et la biodégradation du phénanthrène (HAP modèle) en présence de tensioactifs. Les microorganismes choisis dans ce travail sont Pseudomonas putida DSMZ 8368 et un consortium microbien Pyr01. La première partie de la thèse concerne l’étude de l’effet des tensioactifs, de la dispersion et du traitement thermique sur la solubilité et la biodégradation du phénanthrène par P. putida DSMZ 8368. Les meilleurs résultats ont été obtenus en combinant l’utilisation d’un tensioactif Brij 30 (0,5 g L-1) avec un traitement thermique préliminaire. La deuxième partie présente les résultats sur la dégradation du phénanthrène par le consortium Pyr01. La comparaison entre la biodégradation du phénanthrène par P. putida DSMZ 8368 et le consortium Pyr01 a été réalisée. Contrairement à ce qui a été observé dans le cas de la biodégradation par P. putida DSMZ 8368, la présence du Brij 30 (0,5 g L-1) a eu un effet négatif sur la biodégradation du phénanthrène par le consortium Pyr01. La troisième partie de ce travail a consisté en l’étude de la solubilisation du phénanthrène au point de trouble du Brij 30. L’effet de l’abaissement de la température jusqu’à la valeur de la température de culture de P. putida DSMZ 8368 sur la solubilisation du phénanthrène a été également étudié. / Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent pollutants widely represented in ecosystems all over the world. The utilization of microorganisms for degradation of PAHs is an economically effective method having a great potential. The aim of the present work was to study the dissolution and the biodegradation of phenanthrene (model PAH) in the presence of surfactants. The chosen microorganisms were Pseudomonas putida DSMZ 8368 and a microbial consortium Pyr01.The first part of the thesis concerns the study of the effect of surfactants, dispersion and a thermal treatment on solubility and biodegradation of phenanthrene by P. putida DSMZ 8368. The best results were obtained by combining the use of Brij 30 surfactant with a preliminary thermal treatment. The second part presents results on the degradation of phenanthrene by Pyr01 consortium. The comparison between the biodegradation of phenanthrene by P. putida DSMZ 8368 and by Pyr01 consortium was done. Contrary to what has been observed in the case of the biodegradation by P. putida DSMZ 8368, the presence of Brij 30 (0.5 g L-1) had a negative effect on the biodegradation of phenanthrene by Pyr01 consortium. The third part of this work consisted in the study of phenanthrene solubilisation at cloud point of Brij 30. The effect of lowering the temperature to that of the culture conditions for P. putida DSMZ 8368 on the solubilization of phenanthrene was also studied.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the pollutants in the environment. They are organic compounds that consist of more than one aromatic ring (Kanchanamayoon & Tatrahun 2008). Due to less information forthcoming regarding the levels of PAHs in Vaal area, this study is to evaluate the levels of PAHs in the rivers around Vaal Triangle. Three river sites such as Vaal, Barrage and Klip Rivers were selected to investigate the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water. Validation of an analytical method is the process by which it is established by laboratory studies, that the performance characteristics of the method meet the requirements for the intended analytical application. (Stockl et al 2009). The validation parameters tested were, linearity detection limit of quantitation, sensitivity, accuracy, specificity, selectivity, robustness and ruggedness. PAHs can be determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) which is a technique for separation, identification and quantification of components in a mixture. The following ten compounds were identified and quantified with a HPLC: naphthalene, acenaphthylene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, dibenzo(a,h) anthracene and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene. The linear calibration ranges from 0.1-5ppm.The linearity ranges between 0.9993-0.9999.Three reversed sorbent phases (Strata-X, MFC18 and C18) were tested for PAH retention efficiency. An optimised reverse solid phase extraction (SPE) method was used after conditioning the sorbent to extract and collect compounds of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in river water samples. LC18 sorbent showed good recoveries after extracting PAHs standard mixture of 1 mg/l. The best performing eluting solvent was acetonitrile and very good percentage recoveries that ranged from 70% to over 100 % were obtained for eight compounds. Poor recoveries were also obtained for phenanthrene (61%) and benzo(b)fluoranthene (48%). The standard deviation ranged from 0.01 to 0.05 and the detection limits ranging from 0.01 – 0.17 mg/l were obtained. Average concentration ranges of PAHs identified within the study area were: phenanthrene (0.02 – 0.42 mg/l); anthracene (0.37 – 0.39 mg/l), fluoranthene (0.11 – 0.15 mg/l); benzo(b)fluoranthene (0.09 mg/l) and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (0.26 mg/l). However, naphthalene, acenaphthylene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene were not detected.

O crescente mercado dos produtos naturais, fomentado pelo interesse dos consumidores por alimentos que auxiliem a promoção da saúde, tem pressionado a indústria alimentícia na oferta por novos alimentos. Dentre estes alimentos, encontram-se os óleos vegetais extraídos a frio, reconhecidos por preservarem compostos bioativos característicos e, alguns deles, serem fontes de ácidos graxos (AG) essenciais. A categoria dos óleos e gorduras apresenta, dentre outros alimentos, uma importante fonte de exposição aos hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos (HPAs), um grupo de contaminantes químicos orgânicos, alguns com ação carcinogênica. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os óleos vegetais extraídos a frio quanto aos parâmetros de identidade, de qualidade e à ocorrência de HPAs. Foram avaliadas 40 amostras, dez de cada tipo (coco, cártamo, prímula e linhaça), de diferentes marcas, adquiridas no comércio da cidade de São Paulo. Foram realizados os ensaios de perfil de AG, índice de acidez, índice de peróxido, p-anisidina, valor total de oxidação (totox) e HPAs (benzo(a)antraceno, criseno, benzo(b)fluoranteno e benzo(a)pireno). Quanto aos AG, catorze óleos (35 por cento ) não apresentaram perfis de ácidos graxos característicos que os declarados em seus rótulos, incluindo um de coco, quatro de cártamo e nove de prímula. Os valores para acidez estavam inadequados em relação a legislação para três óleos de linhaça (7,5 por cento ). Para o peróxido, quatro óleos (10 por cento ) estavam acima do limite da legislação, sendo dois de linhaça e dois de prímula. Os valores de p-anisidina variaram de &lt;LQ a 12,98, sendo o menor valor encontrado nas amostras de coco e o maior em uma de prímula, que apresentava um odor alterado. No ensaio de totox, 37,5% das amostras apresentaram valores acima da recomendação da literatura, especialmente os óleos de cártamo e prímula. Já para os HPAs, pelo menos um dos hidrocarbonetos analisados foi detectado em 97,5% das amostras avaliadas; três amostras de prímula (7,5%) apresentaram níveis acima do permitido pela Comunidade Européia para BaP e, para a soma dos 4 HPAs, oito óleos (20%) estavam em desacordo: dois de cártamo, quatro de prímula e dois de linhaça. Este trabalho expõe os problemas relacionados aos parâmetros de identidade, qualidade e contaminação dos óleos vegetais comercializados como extraídos a frio e reforçam a importância de um contínuo monitoramento destes produtos. / The natural product market growth, stimulated by the interest of consumers in foods that support health promotion, has encouraged the food industry to supply new kinds of foods. Among these are the cold-pressed vegetable oils, recognized by preserving characteristic bioactive compounds and, some of them, are sources of essential fatty acids (FA). The category of oils and fats owns, within others foods, an important source of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of organic chemical contaminants, some of them with carcinogenic activity. This study aimed at evaluating cold-pressed vegetable oils in relation to the PAHs occurrence, as well as the quality and identity parameters. Forty samples being ten of each type (coconut oil, safflower oil, evening primrose oil and flaxseed oil) of distinct brands, which were acquired in different markets from São Paulo, were evaluated. Fatty acids profile, acid value, peroxide value, p-anisidine value, total oxidation value (totox) and PAHs (benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene) were analyzed. As for FA, fourteen oils (35 per cent ) showed different fatty acids profiles according to the ones on their labels, including one of coconut oil, four of safflower oils and nine of evening primrose oils. The acid values were unsuitable towards the legislation to three flaxseed oils (7.5 per cent ). As for peroxide values, four of the oils (10 per cent ) were above the legislation limit, including two of flaxseed oils and two of evening primrose ones. The p-anisidine values ranged from &lt;LOQ to 12.98, being the smallest value found in the coconut oils samples and the biggest ones in an evening primrose oil, which featured an altered odor. In the totox analysis, 37,5% of the samples presented values above the normal pattern according to literature, mailly the safflower and theevening primrose oils. Regarding the PAHs, at least one of the analyzed hydrocarbons was detected in 97,5% of the samples; three of the primrose samples (7,5%) had levels above those allowed by the European Community for BaP. According to the sum of 4 PAHs, eight oils (20%) were in disagreement: two of safflower oils, four of evening primrose oils and two of flaxseed oils. This study exposes problems related to identity and quality parameters, contamination of vegetable oils marketed as cold-pressed. It also aims at reinforcing the importance of a continuous monitoring os these products.

Atualmente, um dos problemas ambientais mais graves é a contaminação dos solos e das águas subterrâneas. Na Europa, já foram identificadas 300.000 áreas contaminadas ou potencialmente contaminadas e estima-se que exista 1,5 milhão. Nos Estados Unidos da América, já foram identificadas mais de 63.000. No Brasil, 1.336 áreas contaminadas foram identificadas apenas no Estado de São Paulo. Das tecnologias de remediação de áreas contaminadas, a biorremediação tem a vantagem de destruir os poluentes. No entanto, para aplicação de tal tecnologia, é necessário determinar a biodegradação dos compostos orgânicos no solo. No Brasil, faltam estes dados, pois os solos tropicais possuem características bem diferentes dos solos de regiões de clima temperado. O método respirométrico de Bartha, adaptado de uma norma holandesa, é um método simples e economicamente viável para determinar a atividade microbiológica pela geração de gás carbônico e, indiretamente, a biodegradação de contaminantes orgânicos no solo. No presente trabalho, foi estudada a sua aplicabilidade para um latossolo, tipo de solo predominante no Estado de São Paulo, utilizando como contaminante orgânico, o fenantreno. A partir dos resultados obtidos, foi possível verificar que o gás carbônico gerado não era resultante apenas da biodegradação do contaminante, mas também de reações abióticas ocorridas no solo, principalmente as de equilíbrio do carbonato de cálcio, adicionado para neutralizar o pH. Tal constatação dificulta a análise dos resultados obtidos nos ensaios de respirometria, já que o procedimento descrito na norma brasileira NBR 14283/99 relaciona diretamente a geração do gás carbônico à biodegradação do contaminante. Apesar desta dificuldade, foi possível verificar a biodegradação do fenantreno por microrganismos indígenas, que resistiram ao processo de esterilização. Verificou-se ainda, neste trabalho de pesquisa, a dificuldade de esterilização do solo em autoclave, o que limita a avaliação de remoção de contaminantes por outros mecanismos, tais como volatilização e adsorção. / Nowadays, one of the most serious environmental problems is the contamination of soil and groundwater. In Europe, 300,000 contaminated or potentially contaminated sites have already been identified and there it is estimated that 1.5 million contaminated sites exist. In the United States of America, more than 63,000 have already been identified. In Brazil, 1,336 contaminated sites have been identified in the State of São Paulo. Of the remediation technologies that can be applied for the recovery of these sites, bioremediation has the advantage of destroying the contaminants, but it is necessary to determine the degree to which they biodegrade in the soil. In Brazil, this data is lacking, since tropical soil has different characteristics than the soil of regions with temperate climates. Bartha’s respirometric method, adapted from a Dutch norm, is a simple and economically viable method for determining carbon dioxide generation and, indirectly, the biodegradation of organic contaminants in the soil. In this research, this method’s applicability was studied for a typical tropical soil, predominant in the State of São Paulo, using phenantrene as an organic contaminant. Based on the results of this study, it was possible to verify that the carbon dioxide generated resulted not only from the biodegradation of the contaminant, but also from abiotic reactions that occurred in the soil, mainly from the balance of calcium carbonate, added to neutralize the pH. This fact makes the analysis of the results of the respirometric tests more difficult, since the procedure described in Brazilian norm NBR 14283/99 relates the generation of carbon dioxide directly to the biodegradation of the contaminant. Despite this difficulty, it was possible to verify the biodegradation of the phenantrene for indigenous microorganisms. Furthermore, this research verified the difficulty of sterilizing the soil, which would make it difficult to evaluate the removal of contaminants by other mechanisms, such as volatilization and adsorption.