The aim of this study was to determine degradation effectiveness of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) contained in creosote by white rot fungus and bacteria. The following two species of bacteria Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas sp. as well as Phanerochaete chrysosporium fungus characterised by the ability to decompose aromatic compounds were selected for experiments. Bacterial strains were isolated from soils contaminated with crude oil from the area of northern Poland. Creosote oil biodegradation experiments were carried out on liquid medium and impregnated wood. PAH analyses were conducted employing the method of high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped in a fluorescent detector (FLD). The performed chemical analyses revealed that, after 35 days of incubation, the Pseudomonas putida bacterial strain degraded to a higher degree (64.5%) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contained in creosote than Pseudomonas sp. (47.8%). Benzo(α)pyrene degradation by the bacteria ranged from 11.3 to 13.4%. Following a 16-week long incubation with the Phanerochaete chrysosporium fungus of creosote impregnated pine wood (Pinus sylvestris L.), the content of each of the examined polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was found to decline. The highest drops were recorded in the case of naphthalene, fenanthrene, acenaphtene, fluorene and pyrene. Depending on the creosote retention in wood, the total PAH degradation in the impregnated wood ranged from 62.8% to 86.4%. Heavier compounds from the PAH group were characterised by lower degradation caused by the Phanerochaete chrysosporium fungus. The change in the benzo(α)pyrene content in impregnated wood after 16-week long exposure to the action of the fungus reached only 27.3%.

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