Abstract:
The experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of
tropical bacterial isolates and its consortium to biodegrade mixture of high
molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (chrysene, fluoranthene and
pyrene). The effect of phenanthrene in the degradation was also investigated.
The bacterial consortium was made up of Sphingomonas sp., Pseudomonas
sp. and P. putida and biodegradation set up for 8 days with
initial 100 mg L-1 substrate concentration. Degradation by Sphingomonas
sp., Pseudomonas sp. and P. putida, respectively after
8 days gave higher residual chrysene of 40.2±1.4, 40.3±2.2 and
27.4±1.8 mg L-1, fluoranthene of 32.5±1.3, 35.4±1.2
and 10.1±2.5 mg L-1 and pyrene of 37.5±1.2, 34.2±2.4
and 32.0±1.2 mg L-1 compared to 11.5±1.4 (chrysene),
6.2±1.3 (fluoranthene) and 6.0±1.8 (pyrene) mg L-1
obtained using the bacterial consortium. When the media was supplemented with
100 mg L-1 phenanthrene, after 8 days of degradation by bacterial
consortium residual chrysene, fluoranthene and pyrene was 0.45±0.25,
0.02±0.02 and 0.20±0.14 mg L-1, respectively while
phenanthrene was undetectable. No statistical significant (p < 0.05) difference
was obtained between degradation by bacterial consortium and consortium via
co-metabolism with phenanthrene rather they had a strong correlation of r =
0.99. The results suggest that bacterial consortium may be useful for the decontamination
of sites polluted with high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
due to synergistic effect.
M.N. Igwo-Ezikpe, O.G. Gbenle, M.O. Ilori, J. Okpuzor and A.A. Osuntoki, 2010. Mixture of High Molecular Weight Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Biodegradation by Tropical Bacteria and via Co-Metabolism with Phenanthrene. Research Journal of Environmental Sciences, 4: 317-326.
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