The stimulation of the microbial population by a more bioavailable supplementary carbon source and by a surfactant pretreatment was studied in petroleum hydrocarbon-polluted soils bioremediation. Two types of soils were used, Soil A which had been recently polluted and the aged Soil B. They contained 52.4 and 50.4 g of total petroleum hydrocarbons per kg of dry soil, respectively. The effect of passing a continuous small stream of air containing a low concentration of gaseous toluene through packed 0.51 (circle divide = 5.5 cm) columns was studied. For Soil A, after 62 days the THPs degradation was 28% higher in the toluene treated columns than in controls. In aged Soil B the effect of toluene was not significant, probably due to bioavailability limitations. With Soil B, the combined effect of toluene as cosubstrate and a surfactant pretreatment was studied and the hydrocarbons degradation was 29% higher in the toluene-amended columns than in the controls. Toluene removal was higher than 99% in all cases. Surfactant addition increased hydrocarbon degradation when toluene was also added suggesting that the biological reaction was the limiting process. The study shows the possibilities of using gaseous substrates, such as toluene, for the in situ or ex situ treatment of petroleum hydrocarbon-polluted soil in processes limited by the biological reaction. The main advantage of the treatment is that the compound can be easily and directly delivered to the polluted soil through the venting system. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.