Phenantrene bioremediation in soils using an Antarctic bacterial consortium

RUBERTO L; VAZQUEZ S; CURTOSI A; PELLETIER E; MAC CORMACK W

Pinamar, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Congreso; XLI Reunión Anual de la SAIB; 2005

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular

A bioremediation assay was carried out with soil from Jubany Station. Soil from 75 cm depth having a low level of PAHs contamination (1200 ppb) was removed, added with 1.5 gr of Phenanthrene per kg and placed in 1 l flasks. The assay comprised a community control (CC), a biostimulated system (FMB700), a bioaugmented system (M10) and a biostimulated and bioaugmented system (M10-FMB700). In the biostimulated systems, a 9:1 mix (FMB700) of an organic source of P and N (fish meal) and a surfactant (Brij700) was added (3% w/w). Bioaugmentation was carried out using a PAHs-degrading Antarctic bacterial consortium (M10). Total heterotrophic aerobic bacteria were determined on CPS agar plates and hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria on agarized saline basal medium with diesel fuel and phenanthrene as sole carbon and energy source. Soil samples were extracted with dichlorometane and cleaned up (SupelClean Envi-18 columns). Phenanthrene concentration was determined by GC-MS. Results were analyzed by One-way ANOVA. After 56 days, phenanthrene concentration decreased 46% in the M10-FMB700 system, showing significant differences compared with M10 system (28.4 % of removal), FMB700 system (21.9 % of removal) and the CC system (18.9 % of removal). Bioaugmentation combined with biostimulation was the most effective strategy for phenanthrene bioremediation.