scholarly journals Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria Exhibit a Species-Specific Response to Dispersed Oil while Moderating Ecotoxicity

2015 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 518-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Will A. Overholt ◽  
Kala P. Marks ◽  
Isabel C. Romero ◽  
David J. Hollander ◽  
Terry W. Snell ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe Deepwater Horizon blowout in April 2010 represented the largest accidental marine oil spill and the largest release of chemical dispersants into the environment to date. While dispersant application may provide numerous benefits to oil spill response efforts, the impacts of dispersants and potential synergistic effects with crude oil on individual hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria are poorly understood. In this study, two environmentally relevant species of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were utilized to quantify the response to Macondo crude oil and Corexit 9500A-dispersed oil in terms of bacterial growth and oil degradation potential. In addition, specific hydrocarbon compounds were quantified in the dissolved phase of the medium and linked to ecotoxicity using a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved rotifer assay. Bacterial treatment significantly and drastically reduced the toxicity associated with dispersed oil (increasing the 50% lethal concentration [LC50] by 215%). The growth and crude oil degradation potential ofAcinetobacterwere inhibited by Corexit by 34% and 40%, respectively; conversely, Corexit significantly enhanced the growth ofAlcanivoraxby 10% relative to that in undispersed oil. Furthermore, both bacterial strains were shown to grow with Corexit as the sole carbon and energy source. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial species demonstrate a unique response to dispersed oil compared to their response to crude oil, with potentially opposing effects on toxicity. While some species have the potential to enhance the toxicity of crude oil by producing biosurfactants, the same bacteria may reduce the toxicity associated with dispersed oil through degradation or sequestration.

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lies Indah Sutiknowati

There is an information how to identify hydrocarbon degrading bacteria for bioremediation of marine oil spill. We have Bioremediation treatment for degradation of oil spill on Pari island and need two kind of experiment there are tanks experiment (sampling 0 to 90 days) and semi enclosed system (sampling 0 to 150 days). Biostimulation with nutrients (N and P) was done to analyze biodegradation of hydrocarbon compounds. Experiment design using fertilizer Super IB and Linstar will stimulate bacteria can degrade oil, n-alkane, and alkane as poly aromatic hydrocarbon. The bacteria communities were monitored and analyzed by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) and Clone Library; oil chemistry was analyzed by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS). DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) was extracted from colonies of bacteria and sequence determination of the 16S rDNA was amplified by primers U515f and U1492r. Strains had been sequence and had similarity about 90-99% to their closest taxa by homology Blast search and few of them suspected as new species. The results showed that fertilizers gave a significant effect on alkane, PAH and oil degradation in tanks experiment but not in the field test. Dominant of the specific bacteria on this experiment were Alcanivorax, Marinobacter and Prosthecochloris. Keywords: Bioremediation, Biostimulation, DGGE, PAH, Pari Island


2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lies Indah Sutiknowati

There is an information how to identify hydrocarbon degrading bacteria for bioremediation of marine oil spill. We have Bioremediation treatment for degradation of oil spill on Pari island and need two kind of experiment there are tanks experiment (sampling 0 to 90 days) and semi enclosed system (sampling 0 to 150 days). Biostimulation with nutrients (N and P) was done to analyze biodegradation of hydrocarbon compounds. Experiment design using fertilizer Super IB and Linstar will stimulate bacteria can degrade oil, n-alkane, and alkane as poly aromatic hydrocarbon. The bacteria communities were monitored and analyzed by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) and Clone Library; oil chemistry was analyzed by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS). DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) was extracted from colonies of bacteria and sequence determination of the 16S rDNA was amplified by primers U515f and U1492r. Strains had been sequence and had similarity about 90-99% to their closest taxa by homology Blast search and few of them suspected as new species. The results showed that fertilizers gave a significant effect on alkane, PAH and oil degradation in tanks experiment but not in the field test. Dominant of the specific bacteria on this experiment were Alcanivorax, Marinobacter and Prosthecochloris. Keywords: Bioremediation, Biostimulation, DGGE, PAH, Pari Island


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viju Subramoniapillai ◽  
G. Thilagavathi

Purpose The most widely recycled plastic in the world is recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). To minimize the environmental related issues associated with synthetic fibers, several researchers have explored the potential use of recycled polyester fibers in developing various technical textile products. This study aims to develop needle-punched nonwoven fabrics from recycled polyester fibers and investigate its suitability in oil spill cleanup process. Design/methodology/approach According to Box and Behnken factorial design, 15 different needle-punched nonwoven fabrics from recycled polyester fibers were prepared by changing the parameters, namely, needle punch density, needle penetration depth and fabric areal weight. Several featured parameters such as oil sorption, oil retention, oil sorption kinetics, wettability and reusability performance were systematically elucidated. Findings The maximum oil sorption of recycled nonwoven polyester is found to be 24.85 g/g and 20.58 g/g for crude oil and vegetable oil, respectively. The oil retention is about 93%–96% in case of crude oil, whereas 87%–91% in case of vegetable oil. Recycled polyester nonwoven possesses good hydrophobic–oleophilic properties with static contact angle of 138° against water, whereas 0° against crude oil and vegetable oil. The reusability test results indicate that recycled polyester nonwoven fabric can be used several times because of its reusability features. Originality/value There is no detailed study on the oil sorption features of needle-punched nonwoven fabrics developed from recycled polyester fibers. This study is expected to help in developing fabrics for oil spill cleanups.


2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keehoon Lee ◽  
Kang-Mu Lee ◽  
Donggeun Kim ◽  
Sang Sun Yoon

ABSTRACT Biofilms are microbial communities that inhabit various surfaces and are surrounded by extracellular matrices (ECMs). Clinical microbiologists have shown that the majority of chronic infections are caused by biofilms, following the introduction of the first biofilm infection model by J. W. Costerton and colleagues (J. Lam, R. Chan, K. Lam, and J. W. Costerton, Infect Immun 28:546–556, 1980). However, treatments for chronic biofilm infections are still limited to surgical removal of the infected sites. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis are two frequently identified bacterial species in biofilm infections; nevertheless, the interactions between these two species, especially during biofilm growth, are not clearly understood. In this study, we observed phenotypic changes in a dual-species biofilm of P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis, including a dramatic increase in biofilm matrix thickness. For clear elucidation of the spatial distribution of the dual-species biofilm, P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis were labeled with red and green fluorescence, respectively. E. faecalis was located at the lower part of the dual-species biofilm, while P. aeruginosa developed a structured biofilm on the upper part. Mutants with altered exopolysaccharide (EPS) productions were constructed in order to determine the molecular basis for the synergistic effect of the dual-species biofilm. Increased biofilm matrix thickness was associated with EPSs, not extracellular DNA. In particular, Pel and Psl contributed to interspecies and intraspecies interactions, respectively, in the dual-species P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis biofilm. Accordingly, targeting Pel and Psl might be an effective part of eradicating P. aeruginosa polymicrobial biofilms. IMPORTANCE Chronic infection is a serious problem in the medical field. Scientists have observed that chronic infections are closely associated with biofilms, and the vast majority of infection-causing biofilms are polymicrobial. Many studies have reported that microbes in polymicrobial biofilms interact with each other and that the bacterial interactions result in elevated virulence, in terms of factors, such as infectivity and antibiotic resistance. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis are frequently isolated pathogens in chronic biofilm infections. Nevertheless, while both bacteria are known to be agents of numerous nosocomial infections and can cause serious diseases, interactions between the bacteria in biofilms have rarely been examined. In this investigation, we aimed to characterize P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis dual-species biofilms and to determine the molecular factors that cause synergistic effects, especially on the matrix thickening of the biofilm. We suspect that our findings will contribute to the development of more efficient methods for eradicating polymicrobial biofilm infections.


1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard P. J. Swannell ◽  
Fabien Daniel

ABSTRACT A study was undertaken on the dispersion, microbial colonisation and biodegradation of chemically-dispersed weathered Forties crude oil under simulated marine conditions in laboratory microcosms. The measurements of droplet size, number and microbial colonisation were made using new techniques developed by the project team. Rapid growth of indigenous micro-organisms capable of degrading both crude oil and dispersants was observed in the presence of chemically-dispersed oil. These organisms colonised the dispersed oil and biodegraded the aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. These processes was stimulated by the addition of inorganic nutrients. Some colonised droplets agglomerated into neutrally-buoyant “clusters” (100 µm- 2 mm diameter) consisting of oil, bacteria, protozoa, and nematodes. After substantial hydrocarbon biodegradation these clusters sank to the bottom of the microcosms. No biodegradation or cluster formation was noted in “killed” controls in which biological activity had been inhibited. Different dispersants promoted microbial growth to differing extents. These results suggest that the addition of dispersants can increase the rate of oil biodegradation under natural conditions by promoting the growth of indigenous hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, as well as increasing the surface area of oil available for microbial colonisation.


Microbiology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 155 (10) ◽  
pp. 3362-3370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maki Teramoto ◽  
Masahito Suzuki ◽  
Fumiyoshi Okazaki ◽  
Ariani Hatmanti ◽  
Shigeaki Harayama

Petroleum-hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were obtained after enrichment on crude oil (as a ‘chocolate mousse’) in a continuous supply of Indonesian seawater amended with nitrogen, phosphorus and iron nutrients. They were related to Alcanivorax and Marinobacter strains, which are ubiquitous petroleum-hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in marine environments, and to Oceanobacter kriegii (96.4–96.5 % similarities in almost full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences). The Oceanobacter-related bacteria showed high n-alkane-degrading activity, comparable to that of Alcanivorax borkumensis strain SK2. On the other hand, Alcanivorax strains exhibited high activity for branched-alkane degradation and thus could be key bacteria for branched-alkane biodegradation in tropical seas. Oceanobacter-related bacteria became most dominant in microcosms that simulated a crude oil spill event with Indonesian seawater. The dominance was observed in microcosms that were unamended or amended with fertilizer, suggesting that the Oceanobacter-related strains could become dominant in the natural tropical marine environment after an accidental oil spill, and would continue to dominate in the environment after biostimulation. These results suggest that Oceanobacter-related bacteria could be major degraders of petroleum n-alkanes spilt in the tropical sea.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 12-16
Author(s):  
Obhioze Augustine Akpoka

The capability of indigenous bacteria and microalgae in crude oil effluents to grow in and utilize crude oil as their sole source of carbon and energy provides an environmentally friendly and economical process for dealing with crude oil pollution and its inherent hazards. In view of the toxicity of crude oil spillages to indwellers of the affected ecosystems and the entire affected environment, the isolation of pure bacterial and microalgae cultures from crude effluents is a step in the right direction, particularly for bio-augmentation or bioremediation purposes. The total heterotrophic bacteria count and hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria count, as well as the microalgae count, were determined with the pour plate technique. The physicochemical properties of the effluent samples were also analyzed. Identification of the hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria was performed with phenotypic techniques. The result shows a mean total heterotrophic bacterium count of 5.91 log CFU/ml and a mean microalga count of 4.77 log cells/ml. When crude oil and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) were used as sole carbon sources, total hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria counts were respectively estimated at 3.89 and 2.89 log CFU/ml. Phenotypic identification of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria in the crude oil effluents revealed the presence of two main bacterial genera: Streptococcus and Pseudomonas. Data obtained from this study confirmed the biodegradative abilities of indigenous bacterial species, thus, ultimately resulting in the amelioration of the toxicity associated with the crude oil effluents.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-50
Author(s):  
A.A. Faggo ◽  
A.H. Kawo ◽  
B.H. Gulumbe ◽  
U.J.J. Ijah

Petroleum hydrocarbon (PHCs) contamination of soil, freshwater and air is of global concern. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of crude oil degradation by mixed bacterial culture of different crude oil concentrations using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Seven oil samples were collected from petroleum-contaminated fields in Kano state, Nigeria, and screened for crude oil utilizing bacteria. A control sample of soil from an ecological garden (control soil) was also analyzed. Crude oil-degrading bacteria were isolated, enumerated and identified using cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics, and screened for their ability to utilize Bonny Light Oil as a source of carbon and energy. Bacteria with the highest potential to utilize crude oil were selected and subjected to bioremediation studies at three different pollution levels (5%, 10% and 15%) for 56 days. The residual crude oil was assessed using GC-MS. The results revealed that the mixed culture completely degraded eighteen components ranging from C10 to C25 at 5% crude oil concentration while only C8 to C11 and C8 to C9 were degraded at 10 and 15% respectively. The results of this study indicated the potential of B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa in bioremediation of crude oil contaminated soil.


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