L2 - Aromatics

Soil contaminated with hydrocarbons can be treated using bioremediation. Bacteria that commonly live in the soil use many hydrocarbons as a food source. These bacteria remove hydrocarbons from the soil by eating them.  Because of the chemical structure of the benzene ring, soil contaminated with benzene compounds is much more difficult to bioremediate. The unique bonding relationship in a benzene ring makes benzene a highly stable chemical structure. Soil and other material contaminated with benzene and other harmful aromatic compounds are often treated using special waste treatment processes.

Benzene and other aromatic compounds are naturally occurring compounds that possess a similar chemical structure, the benzene ring. As you have learned in this lesson, the benzene ring is a unique chemical structure that gives this class of compounds unique chemical properties.

There are significant health concerns associated with some aromatic compounds, some of which are restricted or have to be used with appropriate caution. Some common substances, such as Aspirin (a pain reliever) and vanillin (a flavouring agent), are aromatic compounds.