A field experiment was conducted in Delaware (USA) to evaluate three crude oil bioremediation techniques. Four treatments were studied: no oil control, oil alone, oil + nutrients, and oil + nutrients + an indigenous inoculum. The microbial populations were monitored by standard MPN techniques, PLFA profile analysis, and 16S rDNA DGGE analysis for species definition. Viable MPN estimates showed high but steadily declining microbial numbers and no significant differences among treatments during the 14-weeks. Regarding the PLFA results, the communities shifted over the 14-week period from being composed primarily of eukaryotes to Gram-negative bacteria. The Gram-negative communities shifted from the exponential to the stationary phase of growth after week 0. All Gram-negative communities showed evidence of environmental stress. The 16S rDNA DGGE profile of all plots revealed eight prominent bands at time zero. The untreated control plots revealed a simple, dynamic dominant population structure throughout the experiment. The original banding pattern disappeared rapidly in all oiled plots, indicating that the dominant species diversity changed and increased substantially over 14 weeks. The nature of this change was altered by nutrient-addition and the addition of the indigenous inoculum.

/pdf/microbial-population-changes-during-bioremediation-of-an-46czbde8f8.pdf

Microbial Population Changes During Bioremediation of an Experimental Oil Spill

Phytoremediation is a promising technology for the cleanup of polluted environments. The technology has so far been used mainly to remove toxic heavy metals from contaminated soil, but there is a growing interest in broadening its applications to remove/degrade organic pollutants in the environment. Both plants and soil microorganisms have certain limitations with respect to their individual abilities to remove/breakdown organic compounds. A synergistic action by both rhizosphere microorganisms that leads to increased availability of hydrophobic compounds, and plants that leads to their removal and/or degradation, may overcome many of the limitations, and thus provide a useful basis for enhancing remediation of contaminated environments. The review of literature presented in this article provides an insight to the nature of plant-microbial interactions in the rhizosphere, with a focus on those processes that are relevant to the breakdown and/or removal of organic pollutants. Due consideration has been given to identify opportunities for utilising the plant-microbial synergy in the rhizosphere to enhance remediation of contaminated environments. The literature review has highlighted the existence of a synergistic interaction between plants and microbial communities in the rhizosphere. This interaction benefits both microorganisms through provision of nutrients by root exudates, and plants through enhanced nutrient uptake and reduced toxicity of soil contaminants. The ability of the plant-microbial interaction to tackle some of the most recalcitrant organic chemicals is of particular interest with regard to enhancing and extending the scope of remediation technologies. Plant-microbial interactions in the rhizosphere offer very useful means for remediating environments contaminated with recalcitrant organic compounds. A better knowledge of plant-microbial interactions will provide a basis for improving the efficacy of biological remediations. Further research is, however, needed to investigate different feedback mechanisms that select and regulate microbial activity in the rhizosphere.

Utilising the Synergy between Plants and Rhizosphere Microorganisms to Enhance Breakdown of Organic Pollutants in the Environment (15 pp)

Plant uptake, accumulation and translocation of phenanthrene and pyrene in soils

Real-Time PCR quantification of PAH-ring hydroxylating dioxygenase (PAH-RHDα) genes from Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria in soil and sediment samples

Storm-water pollutants are widely recognized as a major cause of surface water quality degradation. Most storm-water treatment efforts have focused on capture of particles and particle-associated pollutants, but oftentimes half or more of pollutant loads can be attributed to the dissolved phase. Dissolved pollutants are more mobile, bioavailable, and are captured via different mechanisms than particles. Low-impact development storm-water control measures such as bioretention are being used to infiltrate storm water to reduce storm-water volume as well as to capture storm-water pollutants. Bioretention systems have proven effective at capturing both dissolved and particulate storm-water pollutants. Herein the authors present a state-of-the-art review of dissolved storm-water pollutant sources and typical concentrations, removal mechanisms, and fate in bioretention cells covering three pollutant classes: (1) nutrients (i.e., phosphorus and nitrogen), (2) toxic metals, and (3) organic compounds, incl...

Review of dissolved pollutants in urban storm water and their removal and fate in bioretention cells

An industrially polluted soil (3.1 g PAH kg−1) was used to study C, N and P limitations to dissipation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a model rhizosphere. Soil columns (50 cm3) were packed with soil and percolated daily with artificial root exudates (ARE) at 100 μg C g−1, 1 mM NH4NO3 or 1 mM NaH2PO4, or any double or triple combination of these for 30 days. At harvest, soil was analyzed for PAHs, and the numbers of total heterotrophic and PAH degrading bacteria estimated by an MPN technique. Dissipation of 3 and 4 ring PAHs was highest in soil receiving ARE+N, followed by the treatments with N+P and ARE+N+P. The complete treatment ARE+N+P had the highest dissipation of 5-ring PAHs. For both 5 and 6 ring PAHs most treatments resulted in increased concentrations at the end of the experiment, which was attributed to desorption of initially unextractable molecules. PAH degrading bacteria reached the highest numbers in the ARE+N+P treatment, followed by the treatment receiving only P, whereas total number of heterotrophs was elevated in the treatments ARE, P, ARE+N and ARE+N+P. Net PAH dissipation in soil was seemingly due to the two counteracting processes biodegradation and desorption. In the presence of ARE, the dissipation of higher molecular weight PAHs apparently involved microbial degradation and/or biotransformation through co-metabolism.

Nutritional constraints to degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a simulated rhizosphere

Rhizodegradation of recalcitrant organic pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), may benefit from the major role that root exudates have on rhizospheric microbial processes. We investigated the influence of the proximity to ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) roots on microbial populations and their biodegradation of phenanthrene (PHE) using compartmented pots. PAH degrading bacteria, total heterotrophic bacteria and PHE biodegradation were quantified in three consecutive sections at different distance (0–3, 3–6, 6–9 mm) from a mat of actively exuding roots. A bacterial gradient was observed with higher numbers of heterotrophs and PAH degrading bacteria closest to the roots. In parallel, a PHE biodegradation gradient was evident in the presence of roots. The biodegradation reached 86%, 48% and 36% of initially added PHE, respectively, in the layers 0–3 mm, 3–6 and 6–9 mm from the roots. The biodegradation rate was similar throughout the three layers of the non planted control. The present experimental system seems well suited for spatial and dynamic studies of PAH rhizoremediation.

S.C. Corgié

Papers

Nutritional constraints to degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a simulated rhizosphere

Rhizospheric degradation of phenanthrene is a function of proximity to roots