Diversity of PAH‐degrading bacteria in an airlift‐suspension reactor system for waste‐water cleaning

Abstract

Different samples from a reactor system for the cleaning of an emulsified waste oil containing approximately 1 % of different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were studied for the diversity of phenanthrene, anthracene, and acenaphthene-metabolizing bacteria. From more than 28 different taxa found in the airlift-suspension reactor, nine were able to mineralize at least one of the PAH, belonging to the genera Bacillus, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Sphingomonas, Alcaligenes, Pseudomonas, and the Flauobacrerinm/Cytohaga group. In the sludge from the thickener of the reactor system, a reduced number of metabolically active groups could be detected. The impact of differcnt precultivation substrates on the degradation capability was investigated with five PAH-degrading bacterial strains. Four isolates were influenced by the precultivation substrates, however, one isolate (Alcaligenes-like) as well as the mixture of the five strains showed no changes in their degradation capability. The results indicated a strong impact of the precultivation methods on the composition of bacterial communities and the activity and the degradation characteristics of bacteria with respect to different PAH.

Biodegradation of Methyl tert-Butyl Ether under Various Substrate Conditions

“…Also, they are known to be dominant in nearly all activated sludge (25,26), which was originally used to seed the cultures. This group has also been implicated in the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (27), phenol (28,29), and various other substituted aromatic ring compounds (30,31). It is therefore not surprising that they would be involved in the degradation of MTBE, a xenobiotic which contains a tertiary carbon group and an ether bond, both of which resist biological degradation.…”

Epiphytic bacterial communities on two common submerged macrophytes in Taihu Lake: diversity and host-specificity

“…AH-24, (Yoon et al, 2008) was also identified in the H. verticillata library. Some relatives of this species can reportedly degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (Maue et al, 1994).…”