Diagnosing bioremediation of crude oil-contaminated soil and related geochemical processes at the field scale through microbial community and functional genes

Pingping Cai,Yaci Liu,Jiansheng Shi,Manlan Niu,Zhuo Ning,Ze He

doi:10.1186/s13213-020-01580-x

Abstract

PurposeBioremediation is widely considered the most desirable procedure for remediation of oil-contaminated soil. Few studies have focused on the relationships among microbial community, functional genes of biodegradation, and geochemical processes during field bioremediation, which provide crucial information for bioremediation.MethodsIn the current study, the microbial community and functional genes related to hydrocarbon and nitrogen metabolism, combined with the soil physico-chemical properties, were used to diagnose a set of bioremediation experiments, including bioaugmentation, biostimulation, and phytoremediation, at the field scale.ResultThe results showed that the added nutrients stimulated a variety of microorganisms, including hydrocarbon degradation bacteria and nitrogen metabolism microorganisms. The functional genes reflected the possibility of aerobic denitrification in the field, which may be helpful in biodegradation. Biostimulation was found to be the most suitable of the studied bioremediation methods in the field.ConclusionWe offer a feasible approach to obtain useful bioremediation information and assist with the development of appropriate remediation procedures. The findings improve our knowledge of the interactions between microorganisms and edaphic parameters.

Highlights

Oil contamination in water and soil is a worldwide environmental problem (Lu et al 2014), posing a huge threat to human health and natural ecosystems (Chen et al 2015)
The nutrients added to oil-contaminated soil stimulated a variety of microorganisms, including hydrocarbondegrading bacteria and nitrogen metabolizing microorganisms
Aerobic denitrification may occur in the field, which could be helpful for oil biodegradation

Summary

Introduction

Oil contamination in water and soil is a worldwide environmental problem (Lu et al 2014), posing a huge threat to human health and natural ecosystems (Chen et al 2015). Compared with physical and chemical remediation, bioremediation is regarded as the optimal method for remediation of oil-contaminated soil because it is inexpensive, efficient, and applies environmentally. Whether bioremediation is successful mainly depends on the biodegrading microorganisms (Wu et al 2016). These microorganisms may be affected by other microorganisms and added nutrition. An understanding of the activities of biodegrading microorganisms and the relationships between microorganisms and environmental conditions is essential for the development of appropriate remediation procedures (Boopathy 2000; Wu et al 2017; Xue et al 2015)

Methods

Results

Conclusion