Bioremediation of crude oil-contaminated soil by immobilized bacteria on an agro-industrial waste -sunflower seed husks

MARÍA AMELIA CUBITTO; ALEJANDRO R. GENTILI

BIOREMEDIATION JOURNAL

TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2015 vol. 19 p. 277 - 286

1088-9868

This study reports the immobilization and performance of ahydrocarbon-degrading Rhodococcus sp. strain (designated as QBTo) onsunflower seed husks (SH) for the bioremediation of soils polluted with crudeoil. The SH performance as inoculants carrier was compared with peat, which isa vegetal material traditionally used in carrier-based inoculants production. Thestability of the immobilized culture under storage conditions was assessed byviability at different times when stored at 25C and 10C. The catabolicactivity of immobilized and free QTBo cells introduced into sandy loam soil,freshly contaminated with crude oil, was studied in microcosms. A highernumber of viable QTBo cells were recovered from the inoculants formulatedwith SH (QTBo-SH) after prolonged storage at 10C and 25C. Themicrocosms amended with QTBo-SH inoculants showed a removal of about66% of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), whereas in those inoculated withQTBo-peat inoculants, the decrease was of about 47%. In the controlmicrocosms (noninoculated) and liquid culture?amended soils, the TPHremoval was about 28%. SH is a waste of edible oil industry, nontoxic, andbiodegradable and has demonstrated to confer to the immobilized culturesgreater potential to survive not only during storage but also in the soilenvironment, improving bioremediation process.