In this way they get rid or transform hazardous chemicals in the soil. They are one of the principal substances where the central molecular structure is held together by stable carbon-carbon bonds. By definition Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons consist of three or more fused benzene rings and they contain only carbon and hydrogen. These compounds are not only found in soil and sediments but also among them are plant and animal pigments. It is believed that PAHs can produce some biological effects such as inducing cancer and causing mutations.
Bacteria degrade high molecular weight PAHs from soil to obtain energy.
Therefore, one purpose of this research was validate a method to isolate and identify metabolites of selected PAHs in soil samples. Importance Basically, the importance of this research is to determine if these metabolites can be found in soil samples exhibiting active PAHs biodegradation and establish if these metabolites can be used to determined rates of PAH biodegradation in-situ.