Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are compounds derived from petrochemical molecules and have high recalcitrance in natural environments. The process of PAH degradation is dependent on several physical–chemical and environmental factors, as well as the presence of adapted microorganisms containing the enzymatic tools to degrade these complex compounds. In natural settings, several microorganisms are capable of degrading PAH. Thus, there are still several gaps to be filled in the knowledge of prokaryotic microorganisms that degrade aromatic hydrocarbons, mainly phenanthrene, which can be used for the bioremediation of areas contaminated with petroleum derivatives. In this study, enrichment, isolation, and taxonomic identification of the main phenanthrene-degrading microorganisms were carried out from a complex inoculum from an industrial wastewater treatment plant in a petrochemical complex. Bacillus and Alcaligenes were enriched, isolated and identified as potential candidates for bioremediation procedures in places contaminated by oil derivatives, particularly aromatic hydrocarbons like phenanthrene at concentrations between 26 to 200 mg/L. The isolation processes were effective, proving that the isolated strains were able to remove approximately 98% of the phenanthrene added to the reaction medium. The presence of extra carbon sources is essential for the development of phenanthrene-degrading microbial groups.
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Data Availability
The data supporting this study's findings are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available because they are FASTA and FASTq files, they are deposited in specific databases, as mentioned in the body of the manuscript.
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The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by the Human Resources Training Program of the Brazilian National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels – PRH-ANP/FINEP via PRH 48.1/UFPE (ANP Process number Nº48610.201019/2019-38) and, FACEPE – APQ 1120-3.07/22 (Foundation for the Support of Science and Technology of the State of Pernambuco) for the financial support.
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Motteran, F., Magalhães, V.E.M., Candido, M.A. et al. Taxonomic Identification of Microbiota from Enrichment and Isolation of Phenanthrene-Degrading Bacteria in Aerobic Reactors. Water Air Soil Pollut 235, 341 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-024-07176-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-024-07176-4