Bioremediation of Aroclor 1242 by a consortium culture in marine sediment microcosm

Abstract

Plant terpenes have proven to be effective in stimulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) biodegradation in soil systems. However, data on the application of plant terpenes in marine sediments contaminated with PCBs remains limited. The aim of this study was to ascertain the roles of a PCB degrading consortium and plant terpenes in stimulation of PCB biodegradation in marine sediments. The consortium culture 1-2Mix (strains 1-2M and 1-2T in commensalism), a utilizer of biphenyl and a natural substrate was enriched and isolated from marine sediments from the Busan coast, South Korea. PCB degradation by this culture was shown to be more effectively induced by tangerine peel extract than other known substrates (limonene, pinene, and cymene). Coastal sediment microcosms inoculated with 1-2Mix were set up to elucidate the effect of the consortium and plant terpenes on degradation of Aroclor 1242. After four weeks, the highest removal rates of PCBs, compared with the control (autoclaved sediment and no inoculation of 1-2Mix), were observed in order of the inducers tested; biphenyl (71.1%), tangerine peel extract (69.5%), surfactant (66.0%), and limonene (63.0%). Bioaugmentation effect was doubled in the presence of natural substrates such as tangerine peel extract and limonene, indicating effectiveness of these substrates in biostimulation. It was concluded that the tangerine peel extract could replace biphenyl as a feasible induction substrate for effective remediation of PCBs in the marine sediment. © KSBB

Responses of microbial community in rhizosphere soils when ryegrass was subjected to stress from PCBs

“…The small amount of PCBs found in plant materials in our research was possibly because Aroclor 1242 is very inert and poorly soluble in water. Highly chlorinated congeners (with five or six chlorines) are more slowly degraded (Kwon et al 2008). Whether the POPs could be taken up and translocated into plant shoots depends on the chemical's octanol-water partitioning coefficient (logKow; Liu and Schnoor 2008).…”

Adaptation mechanisms of bacteria during the degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls in the presence of natural and synthetic terpenes as potential degradation inducers

“…Several articles also describe the enhancing effect of plant containing terpenes, e.g., pine needles, eucalypt and ivy leaves, tangerine and orange peel on the degradation ability of different bacterial strains (Hernandez et al 1997;Dzantor et al 2002;Kwon et al 2009). …”

Phytoremediation as a management option for contaminated sediments in tidal marshes, flood control areas and dredged sediment landfill sites

“…To our knowledge, there is few data related to SO bacteria and plants in a phytoremediation context. In an assisted phytostabilisation field study performed on a metal-contaminated dredged sediment landfill site with prevailing aerobic conditions, Quatannens (2004) counted the SO bacterial populations and hypothesised that Acidithiobacillus thioparus, developing preferentially in neutral Kwon et al (2008) Bioremediation Perchloroethylene…”

“…Carex aquatalis and Spartina pectinata are predicted to be the most effective plant treatments for phytoremediation of PCBs (Smith et al 2007). Kwon et al (2008) set up coastal sediment microcosms inoculated with 1-2Mix to elucidate the effect of a PCB degrading consortium and plant terpenes on degradation of Aroclor 1242. The consortium culture 1-2Mix (strains 1-2M and 1-2T in commensalism), a utiliser of biphenyl and a natural substrate was enriched and isolated from marine sediments from the Busan coast, South Korea.…”