Surfactant-induced bacterial community changes correlated with increased polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation in contaminated soil.

ABSTRACT: Bioremediation as a method for removing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from contaminated environments has been criticized for poor removal of potentially carcinogenic but less bioavailable high molecular weight (HMW) compounds. As a partial remedy to this constraint, we studied surfactant addition at sub-micellar concentrations to contaminated soil to enhance the biodegradation of PAHs remaining after conventional aerobic bioremediation. We demonstrated increased removal of four- and five-ring PAHs using two nonionic surfactants, polyoxyethylene(4)lauryl ether (Brij 30) and polyoxyethylene sorbitol hexaoleate (POESH), and analyzed bacterial community shifts associated with those conditions. Eight groups of abundant bacteria were implicated as potentially being involved in increase

SUBMITTER: Singleton DR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5380000 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature