Effects of Tween 80 on the removal, sorption and biodegradation of pyrene by Klebsiella oxytoca PYR-1

Effects of mono- and multicomponent nonaqueous-phase liquid on the migration and retention of pollutant-degrading bacteria in porous media

The successful implementation of in-situ bioremediation of nonaqueous-phase liquid (NAPL) contamination in soil-groundwater systems is greatly influenced by the migration performance of NAPL-degrading bacteria. However, the impact and mechanisms of NAPL on the migration/retention of pollutant-degrading bacteria remain unclear. This study investigated the migration/retention performance of A. lwoffii U1091, a strain capable of degrading diesel while producing surfactants, in porous media without and with the presence of mono- and multicomponent NAPL (n-dodecane and diesel) under environmentally relevant conditions. The results showed that under all examined conditions (5 and 50 mM NaCl solution at flow rates of 4 and 8 m/d), the presence of n-dodecane/diesel in porous media could reduce the migration and enhance retention of A. lwoffii in quartz sand columns. Moreover, comparing with mutlicomponent NAPLs of n-dodecane, the monocomponent NAPLs (diesel) exhibited a greater reduction effect on the retention of A. lwoffii in porous media. Through systemically investigating the potential mechanisms via tracer experiment, visible chamber experiment, and theoretical calculation, we found that the reduction in porosity, repulsive forces and movement speeds, the presence of stagnant flow zones in porous media, particularly the biosurfactants generated by A. lwoffii contributed to the enhanced retention of bacteria in NAPL-contaminated porous media. Moreover, owing to presence of the greater amount of hydrophilic components in diesel than in n-dodecane, the available binding sites for the adsorption of bacteria were lower in diesel, resulting in the slightly decreased retention of A. lwoffii in porous media containing diesel than n-dodecane. This study demonstrated that comparing with porous media without NAPL contamination, the retention of strain capable of degrading NAPL in porous media with NAPL contamination was enhanced, beneficial for the subsequent biodegradation of NAPL.

Influences of Four Kinds of Surfactants on Biodegradations of Tar-Rich Coal in the Ordos Basin by Bacillus bicheniformis

The biodegradation of tar-rich coal in the Ordos Basin was carried out by Bacillus licheniformis (B. licheniformis) under actions of four kinds of surfactants, namely, a biological surfactant (Rh), a nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100), an anionic surfactant (LAS), and a cationic surfactant (DTAB). The biodegradation rates under the actions of Triton X-100, LAS, Rh, DTAB, and the control group (without surfactant) were 59.8%, 54.3%, 51.6%, 17.3%, and 43.5%, respectively. The biodegradation mechanism was studied by examining the influences of surfactants on coal samples, bacteria, and degradation products in the degradation process. The results demonstrated that Rh, Triton X-100, and LAS could promote bacterial growth, while DTAB had the opposite effect. Four surfactants all increased the cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) of B. licheniformis, and Triton X-100 demonstrated the most significant promotion of CSH. The order of improvement in microbial cell permeability by surfactants was DTAB > TritonX-100 > LAS > Rh > control group. In the presence of four surfactants, Triton X-100 exhibited the best hydrophilicity improvement for oxidized coal. Overall, among the four surfactants, Triton X-100 ranked first in enhancing the CSH of bacteria and the hydrophilicity of oxidized coal and second in improving microbial cell permeability; thus, Triton X-100 was the most suitable surfactant for promoting B. licheniformis's biodegradation of tar-rich coal. The GC-MS showed that, after the action of Triton X-100, the amount of the identified degradation compounds in the toluene extract of the liquid product decreased by 16 compared to the control group, the amount of dichloromethane extract decreased by 6, and the amount of ethyl acetate extract increased by 6. Simultaneously, the contents of alkanes in the extracts of toluene and dichloromethane decreased, lipids increased, and ethyl acetate extract exhibited little change. The FTIR analysis of the coal sample suggested that, under the action of Triton X-100, compared to oxidized coal, the Har/H and A(CH2)/A(CH3) of the remaining coal decreased by 0.07 and 1.38, respectively, indicating that Triton X-100 enhanced the degradation of aromatic and aliphatic structures of oxidized coal. Therefore, adding a suitable surfactant can promote the biodegradation of tar-rich coal and enrich its degradation product.

Surfactant-enhanced mobilization of persistent organic pollutants: Potential for soil and sediment remediation and unintended consequences

This review aims to provide an overview of the sources and reactions of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and surfactants in soil and sediments, the surfactant-enhanced solubilisation of POPs, and the unintended consequences of surfactant-induced remediation of soil and sediments contaminated with POPs. POPs include chemical compounds that are recalcitrant to natural degradation through photolytic, chemical, and biological processes in the environment. POPs are potentially toxic compounds mainly used in pesticides, solvents, pharmaceuticals, or industrial applications and pose a significant and persistent risk to the ecosystem and human health. Surfactants can serve as detergents, wetting and foaming compounds, emulsifiers, or dispersants, and have been used extensively to promote the solubilization of POPs and their subsequent removal from environmental matrices, including solid wastes, soil, and sediments. However, improper use of surfactants for remediation of POPs may lead to unintended consequences that include toxicity of surfactants to soil microorganisms and plants, and leaching of POPs, thereby resulting in groundwater contamination.

Use of surfactants in biodegradation of hydrophobic compounds: A review

Industrial development has led to immense emission and accumulation of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOC) in the environment. Primarily, they include petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The extensive use of hydrophobic pesticides in agriculture led to the contamination of soil, air and water. Many of the hydrophobic substances are dangerous for the biota due to their high toxicity and carcinogenic and mutagenic activity. In addition to their widespread use, the possible adverse effects are also determined by their resistance to decomposition, including the biological one, which defines their long-term persistence in soil, water and other media. The impact of HOC on ecosystems poses a potential threat not only to the environment but also to human health. Numerous studies were devoted to the remediation of soils polluted with HOC. The approaches to remediation can be conditionally divided into mechanical, chemical and bio-methods, with the former two being widely used in the past. Bioremediation methods proved more efficient and, as a rule, more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. In recent years, the good efficiency of solubilizing agents in bioremediation processes has been demonstrated. Various surfactants have become widely popular due to their ability to increase desorption, water solubility and microbial bioavailability of HOC. In this brief review, state-of-the-art literature data on the biodegradation of hydrophobic organic compounds using surfactants were considered.

Investigation of OECD 301F ready biodegradability test to evaluate chemical fate in a realistic environment

The OECD 301F ready biodegradability test has been approved for use under the Japanese Chemical Substances Control Law since 2018. This test uses activated sludge obtained from a sewage treatment plant instead of the standard activated sludge used for the 301C test. In addition, the test is allowed to add an inert support or emulsifying agent, and/or to change the volume of the test medium. In this study, we first confirmed that the standard sludge had lower biodegradation activities than the sludge taken from a sewage treatment plant. Second, we showed that biodegradation percentages were increased by adding suitable amounts of silica gel or Tween 80. Third, we found that the biodegradations were accelerated by only increasing the medium volume under the conditions that concentrations of chemical, silica gel, and sludge were held constant. These findings are expected to contribute to the appropriate evaluation of chemical fate in a realistic environment.

Surfactant-facilitated alginate-biochar beads embedded with PAH-degrading bacteria and their application in wastewater treatment

Immobilized Pseudomonas aeruginosa beads with alginate and biochar as composite carriers and a nonionic surfactant (TX100) as degradation promoter were prepared by the gel embedding method. The optimal preparation parameters for the biochar addition amount and the concentrations of the bacterial suspension and TX100 were 1%, OD₆₀₀ = 1 and 200 mg/L, respectively. The addition of TX100 can simultaneously promote biochar sorption of PAHs and PAH degradation by P. aeruginosa. The removal ratio of acenaphthene was 24% higher for the TX100-facilitated immobilized bacterial beads than the beads in the absence of TX100. The surfactant-facilitated immobilized bacterial beads can thoroughly remove PAHs in wastewater under the conditions of 10~50 °C, pH 2.5~10.5, and less than 0.2 mol/L NaCl. The immobilized bacterial beads are suitable for continuous-flow reactors, and 2-mm-diameter beads will achieve better application results than larger beads. The new immobilized material can be widely used in various wastewater treatment reactors and in the in situ remediation of organic polluted water.

Effects of two surfactants on microbial diversity of a PCE-degrading microbial consortium

The effects of two representative surfactants, Rhamnolipids and Tween 80, on the microbial diversity of a PCE-degrading consortium during surfactant-enhanced biodegradation, were explored. The biodegradation efficiency was increased from 47.25% to 73.44%, and 47.25%-66.69%, with the addition of Rhamnolipid at 10 mg/L and Tween 80 at 50 mg/L, respectively. PCE biodegradation kinetics can be described by the pseudo-first-order reaction model for both scenarios. Analyses of alpha and beta indices of the microbial consortium showed that the microbial diversity of both groups exposed to either surfactant was not significantly different from the PCE only group. However, the bacterial abundance in the consortium changed significantly at both the phylum and genus levels. The results demonstrated that the composition of the PCE-degrading consortium is relatively stable, but the exposure to both surfactants results in the enrichment of some genera, which could contribute to the increased biodegradation efficiency.

Multilevel changes in bacterial properties on long-term exposure to hydrocarbons and impact of these cells on fresh-water communities

To handle the impact of habitat transformations, the microbial cells developed mechanisms aimed at adjustment of their biological processes in response to signals indicating environmental changes. One of the first changes in their properties is observed on their surface, which has direct contact with the dynamically varying surroundings. In this study, we present results of changes in the cell surface properties which may have a decisive impact on the xenobiotics' bioavailability and microbial cell survival. These changes influence their ability to remove xenobiotics by accelerating and empowering this process. Moreover, the application of microorganisms exposed for long-term to hydrocarbons in bioremediation processes might have positive impact on biodegradation of the latter in the natural environment as well as natural microbial community diversity. This study demonstrates a variety of microbial cell mechanisms of adaptation to long-term exposure to hydrocarbons and their potential as the bioremediation tools.

Surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation: Mechanisms, influences, limitations and the countermeasures

In recent years, surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation (SEAR) has attracted increasing interest duo to the high efficiency of removing non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) from aquifer. A thorough understanding of SEAR is necessary for its successful implementation in field remediation. This paper reviewed the SEAR technology in a comprehensive way based on the recent research advances. Firstly, an overview of the basic processes and mechanisms underlying the technology was presented. Secondly, applications of SEAR and the factors that influence the performance were summarized. Thirdly, the key limitations of SEAR, which are downward migration of dense-NAPLs, secondary pollution of surfactants, adsorptive, precipitative and partitioning loss of surfactants, and heterogeneity of the aquifer, were reviewed. Finally, the recent advances in modifying SEAR to overcome the limitations were discussed in detail. The review will promote our understanding of SEAR technology and provide some useful information to improve the performance of SEAR in applications.

Enzyme activities during Benzo[a]pyrene degradation by the fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae isolated from a polluted soil

The enzyme activities of the fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae (L. theobromae) were studied during degradation of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). The L. theobromae was isolated from a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contaminated soil collected from the Beijing Coking Plant in China and can potentially use BaP as its sole carbon source with a degradation ratio of up to 53% over 10 days. The activities of lignin peroxidase (LiP) and laccase (LAC) could be detected during BaP biodegradation; while manganese peroxidase (MnP) was not detected. Both glucose and salicylic acid enhanced BaP biodegradation slightly. In contrast, the coexistence of phenanthrene (PHE) inhibited BaP degradation. These metabolic substrates all enhanced the secretion of LiP and LAC. The addition of Tween 80 (TW-80) enhanced BaP biodegradation as well as the LiP and LAC activities. At the same time, TW-80 was degraded by the L. theobromae. In addition, the L. theobromae was compared to Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P. chrysosporium), which is a widely studied fungus for degrading PAH. P. chrysosporium was unable to use BaP as its sole carbon source. The activities of LiP and LAC produced by the P. chrysosporium were less than those of the L. theobromae. Additionally, the four intermediates formed in the BaP biodegradation process were monitored using GC-MS analysis. Four metabolite concentrations first increased and then decreased or obtained the platform with prolonged BaP biodegradation time. Therefore, this study shows that the L. theobromae may be explored as a new strain for removing PAHs from the environment.

Exogenous Zn2+ enhance the biodegradation of atrazine by regulating the chlorohydrolase gene trzN transcription and membrane permeability of the degrader Arthrobacter sp. DNS10

Enhancing the biodegradation efficiency of atrazine, a kind of commonly applied herbicide, has been attracted much more concern. Here, Zn²⁺ which has long been considered essential in adjusting cell physiological status was selected to investigate its role on the biodegradation of atrazine by Arthrobacter sp. DNS10 as well as the transmembrane transport of atrazine during the biodegradation period. The results of gas chromatography showed that the atrazine removal percentages (initial concentration was 100 mg L^-1) in 0.05 mM Zn²⁺ and 1.0 mM Zn²⁺ treatments were 94.42% and 86.02% respectively at 48 h, while there was also 66.43% of atrazine left in the treatment without exogenous Zn²⁺ existence. The expression of atrazine chlorohydrolase gene trzN in the strain DNS10 cultured with 0.05 mM and 1.0 mM Zn²⁺ was 7.30- and 4.67- times respectively compared with that of the non-zinc treatment. In addition, the flow cytometry test suggests that 0.05 mM of Zn²⁺ could better adjust the membrane permeability of strain DNS10, meanwhile, the amount of atrazine accumulation in the strain DNS10 co-cultured with this level Zn²⁺ was 2.21 times of that of the strain without Zn²⁺. This study may facilitate a better understanding of the mechanisms that exogenous Zn²⁺ enhances the biodegradation of atrazine by Arthrobacter sp. DNS10.

Decontamination of soil containing oil by natural attenuation, phytoremediation and chemical desorption

An experiment was performed for 240 days to evaluate the oil removal through natural attenuation (NA) and phytoremediation (PH) combined with surfactant (SF), in soil up to 76,585 mg kg^-1 of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). A completely randomized design was applied using a 4 × 6 factorial arrangement, with four concentrations of oil and six recovery technologies. The technologies were combinations of Leersia hexandra (Lh) grass, NA (native microorganisms), and doses of Tween^® 80. The results recorded treatment means with statistical differences (Tukey, p ≤ 0.05 and 0.01). Oil in presence of 5% SF stimulated the formation of grass roots. The SF promoted a significant increase in the biomass of grass stems and leaves but did not contribute to oil removal or microbial density. Unexpectedly, the PH inhibited the removal of oil and induced a decrease in fungi, hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria, and heterotrophic fungi. NA combined with 2.5% SF removed 95% of 48,748 mg of TPH. The best technology for soil decontamination was bioremediation through hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria stimulated with 2.5% SF.

Great correlation: Biodegradation and chemotactic adsorption of Pseudomonas synxantha LSH-7' for oil contaminated seawater bioremediation

Oil Contaminated Seawaters is treated by biological processes of sorption or degradation. Considering the chemotaxis of bacteria, they migrate towards a better way to survive. However, the information concerning the chemotactic biosorption of microorganism is severely limited thus far. Therefore, chemotactic biosorption a novel way of sorption was put forward. The equation was defined as: A _{chemotactic biosorption} = A _{extracellular biosorption} - A _{passive extracellular biosorption} + E _{intracellular}. Effects of controlling parameters like pollutant, fertilizer, sediments and surfactant on bacterial chemotactic sorption capacity of tetradecane, hexadecane, phenanthrene or pyrene were described in detail. The results showed bacterial chemotactic biosorption would be promoted under the conditions of low pollutant concentration, high sediment concentration and fertilizer. However, Tween 80 would promote the sorption of pollutants onto bacterial cells depending on the concentration of surfactant. Correlational analyses were conducted with the biodegradation rate and the concentration (mg/g) of hydrocarbons measured in the biomass. We concluded there existed great correlation between them. Biodegradation rate were all linearly correlated with the concentration (mg/g) of hydrocarbons measured in the biomass in all respects with tetradecane (R² = 0.9873), hexadecane (R² = 0.9705), phenanthrene (R² = 0.9098) and pyrene (R² = 0.9424). The above idea may provide a new insight into oil spill bioremediation from sorption to degradation.

Effects of mixed surfactants on the bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in crops and the bioremediation of contaminated farmlands

Given the widespread contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in farmland, it is necessary to develop a technology to ensure the safety of agricultural productions and remediate the contaminated soils. In this study, a series of mixed surfactants were utilized to reduce the uptake of PAHs by crops in farming period and enhance the plant-microbe associated biodegradation in fallow period. During the farming period, the mixtures of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTMAB) and Tween 80 were attached on soil by cationic-exchange and hydrogen bond, respectively, which increased soil organic matter to partition the bio-available fraction of PAHs. The maximum reduction of phenanthrene and pyrene was 88.6% and 94.9% for chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium L.), and 90.6% and 91.9% for raphanus (Raphanus sativus L.), respectively. During the fallow period, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) reduced the adsorption loss of Tween 80 on soil to enhance desorption of PAHs. The mixtures of SDBS and Tween 80 increased the water-soluble fraction of PAHs in soils, modified bacterial community structure, and enriched the functional genes involved cell motility and signal transduction. Removal efficiencies of phenanthrene and pyrene in soils were high to 86.7% and 90.7%. This systematic technology provided an effective solution to remediate and plant on PAH-contaminated farmlands.

Rhamnolipid influences biosorption and biodegradation of phenanthrene by phenanthrene-degrading strain Pseudomonas sp. Ph6

Given the sub-lethal risks of synthetic surfactants, rhamnolipid is a promising class of biosurfactants with the potential to promote the bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), to provide a favorable substitute for synthetic surfactants. However, few previous studies have integrated the behavior and mechanism behind rhamnolipid-influenced PAH biosorption and biodegradation. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of a bacterial envelope regulated link between phenanthrene (PHE) biosorption and biodegradation by rhamnolipid-induced PHE-degrading strain Pseudomonas sp. Ph6. Rhamnolipid (0─400 mg L^-1) can change the cell-surface zeta potential, cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), cell ultra-microstructure and functional groups, and then alter PHE biosorption and biodegradation of Ph6. Greater amounts of PHE sorbed on cell envelopes results in more PHE diffusing into cytochylema, thus favoring PHE intracellular biodegradation of Ph6. Rhamnolipid (≤100 mg L^-1) could change the microstructures and functional groups of cell envelopes of Ph6, enhance the cell-surface zeta potential and CSH, thus consequently favor PHE biosorption and biodegradation by strain Ph6. By contrast, rhamnolipid at higher concentrations (≥200 mg L^-1) hindered PHE biosorption and biodegradation. Rhamnolipid, as a biosurfactant, can be successfully utilized as an additive to improve the microbial biodegradation of PAHs in the environments.

Removal of acenaphthene from water by Triton X-100-facilitated biochar-immobilized Pseudomonas aeruginosa

By adding the nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 and using biochar as an immobilization carrier, a Triton X-100-facilitated biochar-immobilized Pseudomonas aeruginosa (TFBIP) material was prepared using the sorption method and was used to treat acenaphthene in water. The results showed that a low concentration of Triton X-100 simultaneously promoted the sorption capacity of the biochar and the degradation activity of P. aeruginosa, thereby significantly enhancing the removal of acenaphthene from water by the immobilized P. aeruginosa material. Compared with the control without Triton X-100, a low concentration of Triton X-100 significantly increased the acenaphthene removal rate by 20-50%. The optimal conditions for preparing the TFBIP were a loading time of 24 h, the use of a bacterial suspension with a concentration of OD600 = 0.2, and a Triton X-100 concentration of 10 mg L-1. The optimized TFBIP material could efficiently remove acenaphthene from water at temperatures of 10-50 °C, pH values of 4.5-10.5, and NaCl concentrations of up to 0.2 mol L-1. The new TFBIP material can be used for the treatment of wastewater and may also be directly used for the remediation of soils contaminated with organic pollutants.

Organic contamination and remediation in the agricultural soils of China: A critical review

Soil pollution is a global problem in both developed and developing countries. Countries with rapidly developing economies such as China are faced with significant soil pollution problems due to accelerated industrialization and urbanization over the last decades. This paper provides an overview of published scientific data on soil pollution across China with particular focus on organic contamination in agricultural soils. Based on the related peer-reviewed papers published since 2000 (n=203), we evaluated the priority organic contaminants across China, revealed their spatial and temporal distributions at the national scale, identified their possible sources and fates in soil, assessed their potential environmental risks, and presented the challenges in current remediation technologies regarding the combined organic pollution of agricultural soils. The primary pollutants in Northeast China were polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) due to intensive fossil fuel combustion. The concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and phthalic acid esters (PAEs) were higher in North and Central China owing to concentrated agricultural activities. The levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were higher in East and South China primarily because of past industrial operations and improper electronic waste processing. The co-existence of organic contaminants was severe in the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, which are the most populated and industrialized regions in China. Integrated biological-chemical remediation technologies, such as surfactant-enhanced bioremediation, have potential uses in the remediation of soil contaminated by multiple contaminants. This critical review highlighted several future research directions including combined pollution, interfacial interactions, food safety, bioavailability, ecological effects, and integrated remediation methods for combined organic pollution in soil.

Surfactant-enhanced remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: A review

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic organic compounds that are widely present in the environment. The bioremediation of PAHs is an economical and environmentally friendly remediation technique, but it is limited because PAHs have low water solubility and fewer bioavailable properties. The solubility and bioavailability of PAHs can be increased by using surfactants to reduce surface tension and interfacial tension; this method is called surfactant-enhanced remediation (SER). The SER of PAHs is influenced by many factors such as the type and concentration of surfactants, PAH hydrophobicity, temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved organic matter and microbial community. Furthermore, as mixed micelles have a synergistic effect on PAH solubilisation, selecting the optimum ratio of mixed surfactants leads to effective PAH remediation. Although the use of surfactants inhibits microbial activities in some cases, this could be avoided by choosing an optimum combination of surfactants and a proper microbial community for the targeted PAH(s), resulting in up to 99.99% PAH removal. This article reviews the literature on SER of PAHs, including surfactant types, the synergistic effect of mixed micelles on PAH removal, the impact of surfactants on the PAH biodegradation process, factors affecting the SER process, and the mechanisms of surfactant-enhanced solubilisation of PAHs.

Bacterial community shift and hydrocarbon transformation during bioremediation of short-term petroleum-contaminated soil

A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the impact of bioaugmentation plus biostimulation (BR, added both nutrients and bacterial consortia), and natural attenuation (NA) on hydrocarbon degradation efficiency and microflora characterization during remediation of a freshly contaminated soil. After 112 days of remediation, the initial level of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) (61,000 mg/kg soil) was reduced by 4.5% and 5.0% in the NA and BR treatments, respectively. Bioremediation did not significantly enhance TPH biodegradation compared to natural attenuation. The degradation of the aliphatic fraction was the most active with the degradation rate of 30.3 and 28.7 mg/kg/day by the NA and BR treatments, respectively. Soil microbial activities and counts in soil were generally greater for bioremediation than for natural attenuation. MiSeq sequencing indicated that the diversity and structure of microbial communities were affected greatly by bioremediation. In response to bioremediation treatment, Promicromonospora, Pseudomonas, Microcella, Mycobacterium, Alkanibacter, and Altererythrobacter became dominant genera in the soil. The result indicated that combining bioaugmentation with biostimulation did not improve TPH degradation, but soil microbial activities and structure of microbial communities are sensitive to bioremediation in short-term and heavily oil-contaminated soil.

Shifts in microbial community structure during in situ surfactant-enhanced bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-contaminated soil

This study aims to reveal the microbial mechanism of in situ surfactant-enhanced bioremediation (SEBR). Various concentrations of rhamnolipids, Tween 80, and sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) were separately sprayed onto soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for years. Within 90 days, the highest level of degradation (95 %) was observed in the soil treated with rhamnolipids (10 mg/kg), followed by 92 % degradation with Tween 80 (50 mg/kg) and 90 % degradation with SDBS (50 mg/kg). The results of the microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) suggest that bacteria dominated the enhanced PAH biodegradation (94 % of the maximum contribution). The shift of bacterial community structure during the surfactant treatment was analyzed by using the 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing. In the presence of surfactants, the number of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) associated with Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Sphingomonas increased from 2-3 to 15-30 % at the end of the experiment (two to three times of control). Gene prediction with phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) shows that the PAH-degrading genes, such as 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoate dioxygenase and PAH dioxygenase large subunit, significantly increased after the surfactant applications (p < 0.05). The findings of this study provide insights into the surfactant-induced shifts of microbial community, as well as critical factors for efficient bioremediation.

Synergism in the desorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from soil models by mixed surfactant solutions

This study investigates the effect of a mixed surfactant system on the desorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from soil model systems. The interaction of a non-ionic surfactant, Tween 80, and an anionic one, sodium laurate, forming mixed micelles, produces several beneficial effects, including reduction of adsorption onto solid of the non-ionic surfactant, decrease in the precipitation of the fatty acid salt, and synergism to solubilize PAHs from solids compared with individual surfactants.

Impact of electrochemical treatment of soil washing solution on PAH degradation efficiency and soil respirometry

The remediation of a genuinely PAH-contaminated soil was performed, for the first time, through a new and complete investigation, including PAH extraction followed by advanced oxidation treatment of the washing solution and its recirculation, and an analysis of the impact of the PAH extraction on soil respirometry. The study has been performed on the remediation of genuine PAH-contaminated soil, in the following three steps: (i) PAH extraction with soil washing (SW) techniques, (ii) PAH degradation with an electro-Fenton (EF) process, and (iii) recirculation of the partially oxidized effluent for another SW cycle. The following criteria were monitored during the successive washing cycles: PAH extraction efficiency, PAH oxidation rates and yields, extracting agent recovery, soil microbial activity, and pH of soil. Two representative extracting agents were compared: hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD) and a non-ionic surfactant, Tween(®) 80. Six PAH with different numbers of rings were monitored: acenaphthene (ACE), phenanthrene (PHE), fluoranthene (FLA), pyrene (PYR), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), and benzo(g,h,i)perylene (BghiP). Tween(®) 80 showed much better PAH extraction efficiency (after several SW cycles) than HPCD, regardless of the number of washing cycles. Based on successive SW experiments, a new mathematical relation taking into account the soil/water partition coefficient (Kd*) was established, and could predict the amount of each PAH extracted by the surfactant with a good correlation with experimental results (R(2) > 0.975). More HPCD was recovered (89%) than Tween(®) 80 (79%), while the monitored pollutants were completely degraded (>99%) after 4 h and 8 h, respectively. Even after being washed with partially oxidized solutions, the Tween(®) 80 solutions extracted significantly more PAH than HPCD and promoted better soil microbial activity, with higher oxygen consumption rates. Moreover, neither the oxidation by-products nor the acidic media (pH approximately 3) of the partially oxidized solution inhibited the general soil microbial activity during the washing cycle.

Saponin-enhanced biomass accumulation and demulsification capability of the demulsifying bacteria Alcaligenes sp. S-XJ-1

Saponin significantly enhanced biomass accumulation and demulsification capability of the demulsifying bacteria.

Gene expression of an arthrobacter in surfactant-enhanced biodegradation of a hydrophobic organic compound

Surfactants can affect the biodegradation process and the fate of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in the environment. Previous studies have shown that surfactants can enhance the biodegradation of HOCs by increasing cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) and membrane fluidity. In this study, we took this work one step further by investigating the expression levels of three genes of Arthrobacter sp. SA02 in the biodegradation of phenanthrene as a typical HOC at different concentrations of sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS), which is a widely used surfactant. The Δ9 fatty acid desaturase gene codes for Δ9 fatty acid desaturase, which can convert saturated fatty acid to its unsaturated form. The ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase (RHDase) and the 1-hydroxyl-2-naphthoate dioxygenase (1H2Nase) genes code for the RHDase and 1H2Nase enzymes, respectively, which play a key role in decomposing doubly hydroxylated aromatic compounds. The results show that these three genes were upregulated in the presence of SDBS. On the basis of the genetic and physiological changes, we proposed a pathway that links the gene expression with the physiological phenomena, including CSH, membrane fluidity, and intracellular degradation. This study advances our understanding of the surfactant-enhanced biodegradation of HOCs at the gene level, and the proposed pathway should be further validated in the future.

Fate and transport of monensin in the presence of nonionic surfactant Brij35 in soil

As fresh water is a limited resource in many parts of the world, the use of wastewater for irrigation has become an important alternative. Therefore, many countries facing a water deficit, use partially treated, or even untreated, wastewater. This may increase the input of many contaminants into the environment. In the present study, we investigated the effect of using surfactant rich water in irrigation on the mobility of the most commonly-used veterinary antibiotic, monensin. Nine PVC lysimeters, 1.0m long×0.45 m diameter, were packed with a sandy soil to a bulk density of 1.35 Mg m(-3). Cattle manure, containing monensin, was applied at the surface of the lysimeters at the recommended rate of 10t/ha. Each of three aqueous Brij 35 solutions, 0, 0.5 and 5 g L(-1), was applied to the lysimeters in triplicate. Over a 90 day period, soil and leachate samples were collected and analyzed. The results of the laboratory sorption experiment showed that when the nonionic surfactant Brij 35 is present, the sorption coefficient of monensin was reduced significantly from 120.22 mL g(-1) in the aqueous medium to 112.20, 100 and 63.09 mL g(-1) with Brij35 concentrations of 0.25, 2.5 and 5 g L(-1), respectively. The lysimeter results indicated a significant downward movement of monensin at depths of 60 cm in the soil profile and leachate in the presence of the surfactant. Thus, the continuous use of poor quality water could influence the transport of monensin in agricultural soils, and consequently, pose a risk for groundwater pollution.

Surfactant-modified fatty acid composition of Citrobacter sp. SA01 and its effect on phenanthrene transmembrane transport

The effects of the surfactants, Tween 80 and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) on a membrane's fatty acid composition and the transmembrane transport of phenanthrene were investigated. The results indicated that both surfactants could modify the composition of fatty acids of Citrobacter sp. Strain SA01 cells, 50 mg L(-1) of both surfactants changed the composition of the fatty acids the most, increasing the amount of unsaturated fatty acids. The comparison of fatty acid profiles with diphenylhexatriene fluorescence anisotropy, a probe for plasma membrane fluidity, suggested that an increased amount of unsaturated fatty acids corresponded to greater membrane fluidity. In addition, increased unsaturated fatty acids promoted phenanthrene to partition from the extracellular matrix to cell debris, which increased reverse partitioning from the cell debris to the cytochylema. The results of this study were expected in that the addition of a surfactant is a simple and effective method for accelerating the rate-limiting step of transmembrane transport of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in bioremediation.

Microcalorimetric investigation of the effect of non-ionic surfactant on biodegradation of pyrene by PAH-degrading bacteria Burkholderia cepacia

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread in various ecosystems and are pollutants of great concern due to their potential toxicity, mutagenecity and carcinogenicity. Surfactant has become a hot topic for its wide application in the bioremediation of PAHs. The aim of this work is to explore a microcalorimetric method to determine the toxic effect of pyrene on Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) and the PAH-degrading bacteria Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia) and to evaluate the effect of Tween 80 on biodegradation of pyrene. Power-time curves were studied and calorimetric parameters including the growth rate constant (k), half inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀), and total thermal effect (Q(T)) were determined. B. subtilis, B. cepacia and B. cepacia with Tween 80 were completely inhibited when the concentration of pyrene were 200, 800 and 1600 µg mL⁻¹, respectively. B. cepacia shows better tolerance to pyrene than B. subtilis. Tween 80 significantly improves the biodegradation of pyrene by increasing the bioavailability of pyrene. In addition, the expression of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) in B. cepacia is responsible for the degradation of pyrene and plays an important role in improving the biodegradation of pyrene. Moreover, the activity of C23O increases with the application of Tween 80. The enhanced bioavailability and biodegradation of pyrene by Tween 80 shows the potential use of Tween 80 in the PAHs bioremediation.

Influences and mechanisms of surfactants on pyrene biodegradation based on interactions of surfactant with a Klebsiella oxytoca strain

Surfactant-enhanced bioremediation has been proposed as a promising technology for the treatment of organic polluted soils; however its application has been hindered by the controversial influences and mechanisms of surfactants on the biodegradation of hydrophobic organic compounds. To address this problem, effects of five surfactants on the sorption and biodegradation of pyrene by Klebsiella oxytoca PYR-1, as well as their interactions with bacterial cell surface and membrane lipids were investigated. We found that surfactants enhanced or inhibited pyrene biodegradation depending on their effects on the sorption of pyrene onto bacterial cell, which occurred mainly through modifying cell surface hydrophobicity (such as Tween series surfactants) or disrupting bacterial membrane (such as Triton X-100), respectively. A relatively high positive correlation (P<0.0001) was observed between biodegradation promotion (Bs/B0) and enhancement of sorption coefficients (Kd,s(∗)/Kd,0(∗)) for pyrene in the presence of surfactant, indicating that surfactant-induced sorption played the dominant role during pyrene biodegradation.

Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by microbial consortia enriched from three soils using two different culture media

A consortium composed of many different bacterial species is required to efficiently degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in oil-contaminated soil. We obtained six PAH-degrading microbial consortia from three oil-contaminated soils using two different isolation culture media. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequence analyses of amplified 16s rRNA genes confirmed the bacterial community was greatly affected by both the culture medium and the soil from which the consortia were enriched. Three bacterial consortia enriched using malt yeast extract (MYE) medium showed higher degradation rates of PAHs than consortia enriched using Luria broth (LB) medium. Consortia obtained from a soil and then added back to that same soil was more effective in degrading PAHs than adding, to the same soil, consortia isolated from other, unrelated soils. This suggests that inoculum used for bioremediation should be from the same, or very similar nearby soils, as the soil that is actually being bioremediated.

Effect of nonionic surfactant Brij 35 on the fate and transport of oxytetracycline antibiotic in soil

In many parts of the world, river water is used for irrigation. Treated, partially treated, and even untreated water from wastewater treatment plants is discharged directly into rivers, thereby degrading the quality of the water. Consequently, irrigation water may contain surfactants which may affect the fate and transport of chemicals such as pesticides and antibiotics in agricultural soils. A field lysimeter study was undertaken to investigate the effect of the nonionic surfactant, Brij 35, on the fate and transport of an antibiotic, Oxytetracycline, commonly used in cattle farms. Nine PVC lysimeters, 1.0 m long × 0.45 m diameter, were packed with a sandy soil to a bulk density of 1.35 Mg m(-3). Cattle manure, containing Oxytetracycline, was applied at the surface of the lysimeters at the recommended rate of 10 t/ha. Each of three aqueous Brij 35 solutions, 0, 0.5 and 5 g L(-1) (i.e., 'good,' 'poor' and 'very poor' quality irrigation water) were each applied to the lysimeters in triplicate. Over a 90 day period, soil and leachate samples were collected and analyzed. Batch experiment results showed that the presence of the nonionic surfactant Brij 35 significantly reduced the sorption coefficient of OTC from 23.55 mL g(-1) in the aqueous medium to 19.49, 12.49 and 14.53 in the presence of Brij 35 at concentrations of 0.25, 2.5 and 5 g L(-1), respectively. Lysimeter results indicted the significant downward movement of OTC at depths of 60 cm into soil profile and leachate in the presence of surfactant. Thus, the reuse of wastewater containing surfactants might enhance the mobility of contaminants and increase ground water pollution.