Effect of biosurfactant on biodegradation of pyrene was studied using a microbial consortium predominantly composed of Pseudomonas viridiflava (49.5%) and Pseudomonas nitroreducens (32.5%) in a batch experiment containing lipopeptidic biosurfactant, produced by Paenibacillus dendritiformis CN5 strain, and mineral salt medium. The results showed that the lipopeptide at 600 and 300mgL-1 enhanced pyrene degradation to 83.5% and 67% respectively in 24days compared to 16% degradation in its absence. However degradation of pyrene was reduced to 57% as the lipopeptide supplementation was raised to 900mgL-1. This demonstrates that the biodegradation of pyrene was found to increase with an increase in the lipopeptide concentration up to a threshold level. The experimental data were fitted to the logistic kinetic model which provided best fit with a coefficient of determination (R2) values≥0.97. Maximum specific growth rate, μmax of 0.97 and 0.69d-1 were achieved in the 600 and 300mgL-1 lipopeptide amendments in comparison to 0.54d-1 in the unamended one. The carrying capacity, Xmax increased 4.4-fold in 600mgL-1 lipopeptide supplemented samples in comparison to its absence. Generally the lipopeptide showed potential application in improving bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contaminated environmental media.
Keywords: Bioremediation; Biosurfactant; Lipopeptide; PAH; Pyrene; Solubilization.
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