This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Viñas, M.
Right arrow Articles by Solanas, A. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Viñas, M.
Right arrow Articles by Solanas, A. M.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Viñas, M.
Right arrow Articles by Solanas, A. M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2005, p. 7008-7018, Vol. 71, No. 11
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.11.7008-7018.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Bacterial Community Dynamics and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Degradation during Bioremediation of Heavily Creosote-Contaminated Soil

Marc Viñas,1 Jordi Sabaté,1 María José Espuny,2 and Anna M. Solanas1*

Department of Microbiology, University of Barcelona, Diagonal 645, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain,1 Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Barcelona, Joan XXIII, s/n, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain2

Received 27 December 2004/ Accepted 19 July 2005

Bacterial community dynamics and biodegradation processes were examined in a highly creosote-contaminated soil undergoing a range of laboratory-based bioremediation treatments. The dynamics of the eubacterial community, the number of heterotrophs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) degraders, and the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and PAH concentrations were monitored during the bioremediation process. TPH and PAHs were significantly degraded in all treatments (72 to 79% and 83 to 87%, respectively), and the biodegradation values were higher when nutrients were not added, especially for benzo(a)anthracene and chrysene. The moisture content and aeration were determined to be the key factors associated with PAH bioremediation. Neither biosurfactant addition, bioaugmentation, nor ferric octate addition led to differences in PAH or TPH biodegradation compared to biodegradation with nutrient treatment. All treatments resulted in a high first-order degradation rate during the first 45 days, which was markedly reduced after 90 days. A sharp increase in the size of the heterotrophic and PAH-degrading microbial populations was observed, which coincided with the highest rates of TPH and PAH biodegradation. At the end of the incubation period, PAH degraders were more prevalent in samples to which nutrients had not been added. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis and principal-component analysis confirmed that there was a remarkable shift in the composition of the bacterial community due to both the biodegradation process and the addition of nutrients. At early stages of biodegradation, the {alpha}-Proteobacteria group (genera Sphingomonas and Azospirillum) was the dominant group in all treatments. At later stages, the {gamma}-Proteobacteria group (genus Xanthomonas), the {alpha}-Proteobacteria group (genus Sphingomonas), and the Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides group (Bacteroidetes) were the dominant groups in the nonnutrient treatment, while the {gamma}-Proteobacteria group (genus Xathomonas), the ß-Proteobacteria group (genera Alcaligenes and Achromobacter), and the {alpha}-Proteobacteria group (genus Sphingomonas) were the dominant groups in the nutrient treatment. This study shows that specific bacterial phylotypes are associated both with different phases of PAH degradation and with nutrient addition in a preadapted PAH-contaminated soil. Our findings also suggest that there are complex interactions between bacterial species and medium conditions that influence the biodegradation capacity of the microbial communities involved in bioremediation processes.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, University of Barcelona, Diagonal 645, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain. Phone: (34) 93 4034623. Fax: (34) 93 4034629. E-mail: asolanas{at}ub.edu.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2005, p. 7008-7018, Vol. 71, No. 11
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.11.7008-7018.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Alonso-Gutierrez, J., Figueras, A., Albaiges, J., Jimenez, N., Vinas, M., Solanas, A. M., Novoa, B. (2009). Bacterial Communities from Shoreline Environments (Costa da Morte, Northwestern Spain) Affected by the Prestige Oil Spill. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 3407-3418 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Singleton, D. R., Guzman Ramirez, L., Aitken, M. D. (2009). Characterization of a Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Degradation Gene Cluster in a Phenanthrene-Degrading Acidovorax Strain. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 2613-2620 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mallick, S., Chatterjee, S., Dutta, T. K. (2007). A novel degradation pathway in the assimilation of phenanthrene by Staphylococcus sp. strain PN/Y via meta-cleavage of 2-hydroxy-1-naphthoic acid: formation of trans-2,3-dioxo-5-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)-pent-4-enoic acid. Microbiology 153: 2104-2115 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Johnsen, A. R., Schmidt, S., Hybholt, T. K., Henriksen, S., Jacobsen, C. S., Andersen, O. (2007). Strong Impact on the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH)-Degrading Community of a PAH-Polluted Soil but Marginal Effect on PAH Degradation when Priming with Bioremediated Soil Dominated by Mycobacteria. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 1474-1480 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»