The application of biosurfactant producing bacterial consortium as a petroleum degrader in increasing the hydraulic conductivity coefficient of TPH-contaminated soil

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Soil Science Engineering, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

2 Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 Department of Soil Science Engineering, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Oil pollution is recognized as one of the significant threat to soil fertility and plant production. Pollution caused by petroleum hydrocarbons, reduces the hydraulic conductivity of soils, leading to increased erosion and runoff, and decreased plant growth. One practical approach for remediating soils contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons is using biosurfactant-producing microorganisms that can degrade these compounds. This study examined the efficacy of a microbial consortium comprising the bacterial strains Dietzia aerolata PS14B1, Kocuria salina PS12B2, and Mesobacillus harenae PS9D12 in altering the permeability coefficient of soil contaminated with high pollution (TPH). In the hydrocarbon growth and degradation test in the mineral base medium after seven days of incubation, the results showed that strains PS14B1, PS12B2, and PS9D12 were successful in reducing Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) by 25.63%, 24.11%, and 22.83%, respectively, which was significantly different from the control (P<0.05).  The inoculation of the bacterial strains into the soil and subsequent 30-day incubation demonstrated a significant increase in soil hydraulic conductivity, from 1.18 cm h-1 to 9.12 cm h-1, compared to the control treatment (3.24 cm h-1). These findings suggest that the bacterial consortium holds potential for the sustainable remediation of oil-contaminated sites and the enhancement of soil permeability in polluted areas.

Keywords

Main Subjects

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

Introduction:

 The surge in petroleum product demand poses a significant risk of oil pollution. Crude oil, a mixture of diverse hydrocarbons, is susceptible to degradation by microorganisms. Exposure to petroleum compounds not only disrupts soil structure but also endangers human health due to their carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Such compounds impede water flow mechanisms in contaminated soils, leading to reduced hydraulic conductivity, erosion, and surface runoff. Bioremediation emerges as a promising approach to address oil-contaminated soils, mainly through the secretion of biosurfactants by proficient microbes, enhancing the compounds' biodegradation by augmenting their bioavailability. This study aims to explore the biodegradation capability and biosurfactant secretion of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria, along with improving hydraulic conductivity in oil-contaminated soil using potent strains.

Materials and Methods:

Twelve bacterial strains isolated from oil-contaminated soil were obtained from the microbial collection of the Soil Science and Engineering Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran. Initial testing involved assessing the growth ability of strains in MSM-agar medium containing crude oil as the sole source of carbon and energy. The Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) reduction ability was evaluated by inoculating bacteria into a MSM medium containing 1% crude oil (at a concentration of 5% v/v) and determining the remaining TPH gravimetrically after seven days. Furthermore, biosurfactant production capacity was assessed through oil spreading, surface tension reduction, and emulsification index (%E24) tests. Based on the results, three strain: Dietzia aerolata PS14B1, Kocuria salina PS12B2, and Mesobacillus harenae PS9D12 were selected and applied as a microbial consortium to contaminated soil to evaluate their impact on hydraulic conductivity.

Results and Discussion:

The growth ability test indicated that strain PS12B2 exhibited the highest growth compared to others in the presence of oil. In the oil spread test, strains PS12B2, PS2C3, and PS20B1 exhibited the most expansive halos, measuring 2.43, 2, and 2 cm, respectively, which was statistically significant (P<0.05). It's noteworthy that researchers established a minimum halo diameter of 0.5 cm as indicative of positive biosurfactant secretion. Moving on to the surface tension test, strains PS12E1, PS20B1, and PS12B2 demonstrated remarkable efficacy in reducing the surface tension of distilled water from 72.36 mN m-1 to 32.37, 31.39, and 30.43 mN m-1, respectively. Furthermore, in the E24 test utilizing n-hexane as a water-repellent medium, strains PS20B1, PS7D1, and PS12E1 exhibited the highest emulsifying capacity among all strains, with E24 values of 54.93%, 42.58%, and 40.5%, respectively. Notably, strains PS14B1, PS12B2, and PS9D12 demonstrated substantial TPH reduction capacities by 25.63%, 24.11%, and 22.83%, respectively, which was significantly different from the control treatment (1% reduction). Monitoring soil hydraulic conductivity showed a significant increase from 1.18 to 9.12 cm h-1 after 30 days with the PSZ treatment compared to the control treatment (3.24 cm h-1) (P<0.05).

Conclusion:

Petroleum hydrocarbons have adverse effects on human health and soil physical properties such as hydraulic conductivity. Bioremediation is one of the best methods for restoring soils contaminated with oil. The results of this study showed that strains Dietzia aerolata PS14B1, Kocuria salina PS12B2, and Mesobacillus harenae PS9D12 have good growth capability in MSM agar oily medium, biosurfactant secretion, and petroleum hydrocarbon degradation. Additionally, the consortium composed of these strains increased soil hydraulic conductivity from 1.18 to 9.12 cm h-1 (P<0.05). Therefore, these strains can be used in the bioremediation of oil-contaminated areas to promote environmental cleanliness and stability.

Author Contributions

K.Z wrote the original draft and, investigation, writing—review, A.A.P; supervision, Conceptualization, funding acquisition and project administration, S.S; methodology, formal analysis, data curation, M.S.; validation, resources, editing, and visualization. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Acknowledgements

Authors sincerely acknowledge University College of Agriculture (UCA), South Oilfields Company for providing funding to carry out this research work. The authors also would like to thank Dr. Moradi from Gachsaran oil company for providing of soil sample for the present study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research
Volume 55, Issue 9
November 2024
Pages 1585-1599

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