Abstract
Known concentrations of naphthalene were added to soil samples to investigate the anaerobic degradation potential by the
inoculated naphthalene-adapted bacteria under nitrate reducing conditions. Naphthalene could be anaerobically biodegraded to
non-detectable levels within 35 days when the initial concentrations were 5.8 mg/kg, 34.7 mg/kg, 61.4 mg/kg, 93.7 mg/kg and
146.6 mg/kg in soil, respectively. The degradation rates of naphthalene increased with increasing initial concentrations. There was no inhibitory effect on naphthalene degradation when the initial concentration was below 150 mg/kg. Indigenous bacteria in the soil could stimulate the naphthalene biodegradation ability of the enriched mixed bacteria.