No abstract

This study was to explore the functional role of Comamonas testosteroni (Ct) on soil indigenous microorganisms, and analyze the effect of Ct on PAHs degradation in PAH-contaminated soil. Results showed that inoculation of Ct could degrade naphthalene (Nap), phenanthrene (Phe), and benzo [α] pyrene (BaP) significantly. The degradation rate of Nap, Phe and BaP was 81.18%, 63.38% and 37.98% on day 25, respectively, suggesting that the low molecular weight of Nap and Phe were easier to be degraded by microorganisms than BaP. Network analysis showed that inoculation of Ct significantly increased the bacteria closely related to PAHs. Structural equation models confirmed Steroidobacter as functional bacteria could affect the degradation of Nap and BaP. Inoculated Ct could effectively enhance the synergy among indigenous bacteria to degrade PAHs. This would be helpful to understand the function of inoculated strains in PAH-contaminated soil and identify functional microorganisms of PAHs remediation.