Bioremediation of intertidal zones polluted by heavy oil spilling using immobilized laccase-bacteria consortium

Abstract

Heavy oil pollution in the intertidal zones has become a worldwide environmental problem. In this study, bioremediation on heavy oil pollutants in the intertidal zones using an immobilized laccase-bacteria consortium system was evaluated with the aid of intertidal experimental pools built in the coastal area. It is found that degradation efficiency of the immobilized laccase-bacteria consortium for heavy oil was 66.5% after 100 days remediation, with the reaction rate constant of 0.018 d^-1. Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer analysis shows that degradation efficiency of saturated hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons were 79.2% and 78.7%, which were 64.9% and 65.1% higher than control. It is further seen that degradation of long-chain n-alkanes of C26-C35 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with more than three rings were significant. Metagenomic analysis indicates that the immobilized laccase-bacterial consortium has not only increased the biodiversity of heavy oil degrading bacteria, but also accelerated the degradation of heavy oil.

Keywords: Bioremediation; Heavy oil pollution; Immobilized laccase-bacteria consortium; Intertidal zones.