TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing impediments to hydrocarbon biodegradation in weathered contaminated soils
AU - Adetutu, Eric
AU - Weber, John
AU - Aleer, Samuel
AU - Dandie, Catherine
AU - Aburto-Medina, Arturo
AU - Ball, Andrew
AU - Juhasz, Albert
PY - 2013/10/5
Y1 - 2013/10/5
N2 - In this study, impediments to hydrocarbon biodegradation in contaminated soils were assessed using chemical and molecular methodologies. Two long-term hydrocarbon contaminated soils were utilised which were similar in physico-chemical properties but differed in the extent of hydrocarbon (C10-C40) contamination (S1: 16.5gkg-1; S2: 68.9gkg-1). Under enhanced natural attenuation (ENA) conditions, hydrocarbon biodegradation was observed in S1 microcosms (26.4% reduction in C10-C40 hydrocarbons), however, ENA was unable to stimulate degradation in S2. Although eubacterial communities (PCR-DGGE analysis) were similar for both soils, the alkB bacterial community was less diverse in S2 presumably due to impacts associated with elevated hydrocarbons. When hydrocarbon bioaccessibility was assessed using HP-β-CD extraction, large residual concentrations remained in the soil following the extraction procedure. However, when linear regression models were used to predict the endpoints of hydrocarbon degradation, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) between HP-β-CD predicted and microcosm measured biodegradation endpoints. This data suggested that the lack of hydrocarbon degradation in S2 resulted primarily from limited hydrocarbon bioavailability.
AB - In this study, impediments to hydrocarbon biodegradation in contaminated soils were assessed using chemical and molecular methodologies. Two long-term hydrocarbon contaminated soils were utilised which were similar in physico-chemical properties but differed in the extent of hydrocarbon (C10-C40) contamination (S1: 16.5gkg-1; S2: 68.9gkg-1). Under enhanced natural attenuation (ENA) conditions, hydrocarbon biodegradation was observed in S1 microcosms (26.4% reduction in C10-C40 hydrocarbons), however, ENA was unable to stimulate degradation in S2. Although eubacterial communities (PCR-DGGE analysis) were similar for both soils, the alkB bacterial community was less diverse in S2 presumably due to impacts associated with elevated hydrocarbons. When hydrocarbon bioaccessibility was assessed using HP-β-CD extraction, large residual concentrations remained in the soil following the extraction procedure. However, when linear regression models were used to predict the endpoints of hydrocarbon degradation, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) between HP-β-CD predicted and microcosm measured biodegradation endpoints. This data suggested that the lack of hydrocarbon degradation in S2 resulted primarily from limited hydrocarbon bioavailability.
KW - AlkB
KW - Bioavailability
KW - Biodegradation
KW - Bioremediation
KW - Hydrocarbons
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84886293477&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.01.052
DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.01.052
M3 - Article
SN - 0304-3894
VL - 261
SP - 847
EP - 853
JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials
JF - Journal of Hazardous Materials
ER -