Biostimulation and bioaugmentation of native microbial community accelerated bioremediation of oil refinery sludge

Ajoy Roy; Avishek Dutta; Siddhartha Pal; Abhishek Gupta; Jayeeta Sarkar; Ananya Chatterjee; Anumeha Saha; Poulomi Sarkar; Pinaki Sar; Sufia K Kazy

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2018.01.004

Biostimulation and bioaugmentation of native microbial community accelerated bioremediation of oil refinery sludge

Bioresour Technol. 2018 Apr:253:22-32. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.01.004. Epub 2018 Jan 3.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur 713 209, WB, India.
² Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721 302, WB, India; School of Bio Science, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721 302, WB, India.
³ Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721 302, WB, India.
⁴ Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur 713 209, WB, India. Electronic address: sufia.kazy@bt.nitdgp.ac.in.

PMID: 29328931
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.01.004

Abstract

Scope for developing an engineered bioremediation strategy for the treatment of hydrocarbon-rich petroleum refinery waste was investigated through biostimulation and bioaugmentation approaches. Enhanced (46-55%) total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) attenuation was achieved through phosphate, nitrate or nitrate+phosphate amendment in the sludge with increased (upto 12%) abundance of fermentative, hydrocarbon degrading, sulfate-reducing, CO₂-assimilating and methanogenic microorganisms (Bacillus, Coprothermobacter, Rhodobacter, Pseudomonas, Achromobacter, Desulfitobacter, Desulfosporosinus, T78, Methanobacterium, Methanosaeta, etc). Together with nutrients, bioaugmentation with biosurfactant producing and hydrocarbon utilizing indigenous Bacillus strains resulted in 57-75% TPH reduction. Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) analysis revealed enhanced gene allocation for transporters (0.45-3.07%), ABC transporters (0.38-2.07%), methane (0.16-1.06%), fatty acid (0.018-0.15%), nitrogen (0.07-0.17%), butanoate (0.06-0.35%), propanoate (0.004-0.26%) metabolism and some xenobiotics (0.007-0.13%) degradation. This study indicated that nutrient-induced community dynamics of native microorganisms and their metabolic interplay within oil refinery sludge could be a driving force behind accelerated bioremediation.

Keywords: Bioaugmentation; Bioremediation; Biostimulation; Microbial community; Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH).

MeSH terms

Biodegradation, Environmental*
Hydrocarbons
Petroleum
Phylogeny
Sewage*
Soil Microbiology
Soil Pollutants*

Substances

Hydrocarbons
Petroleum
Sewage
Soil Pollutants