title: Biodegradation of low and high molecular weight hydrocarbons in petroleum refinery wastewater by a thermophilic bacterial consortium.
abstract: Clean-up of contaminated wastewater remains to be a major challenge in petroleum refinery. Here, we describe the capacity of a bacterial consortium enriched from crude oil drilling site in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, to utilize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as sole carbon source at 60°C. The consortium reduced low molecular weight (LMW; naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluorene and anthracene) and high molecular weight (HMW; pyrene, benzo(e)pyrene and benzo(k)fluoranthene) PAH loads of up to 1.5 g/L with removal efficiencies of 90% and 80% within 10 days. PAH biodegradation was verified by the presence of PAH metabolites and evolution of carbon dioxide (90 ± 3%). Biodegradation led to a reduction of the surface tension to 34 ± 1 mN/m thus suggesting biosurfactant production by the consortium. Phylogenetic analysis of the consortium revealed the presence of the thermophilic PAH degrader Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain CEES1 (KU664514) and Bacillus thermosaudia (KU664515) strain CEES2. The consortium was further found to treat petroleum wastewater in continuous stirred tank reactor with 96 ± 2% chemical oxygen demand removal and complete PAH degradation in 24 days.
authors.affiliation: a Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies , King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Arulazhagan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pugazhendi
authors.affiliation: a Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies , King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hadeel
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abbad Wazin
authors.affiliation: a Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies , King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Huda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qari
authors.affiliation: a Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies , King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Jalal Mohammad Al-Badry
authors.initials: JMA
authors.lastname: Basahi
authors.affiliation: b Laboratorie de Biotechnologie de l'Environnement , Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique , Narbonne , France.
authors.forename: Jean Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Godon
authors.affiliation: a Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies , King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Jeyakumar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dhavamani
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010578:Petroleum; D010802:Phylogeny; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D062065:Wastewater
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D010578:Petroleum; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: PAHs; bacillus; bioremediation; continuous stirred tank reactor; pseudomonas; thermophiles