Abstract
Biodiesel is a clean renewable fuel used as alternative energy source to diesel and it is commercialized as a minor component in diesel blends. Similarly to diesel, biodiesel spill is a source of contamination for the ecosystem making necessary to provide effective remediation strategies. Bioremediation is a technology that has been applied with success to clean up hydrocarbon-contaminated environments. In this study, fungal bioaugmentation strategy was compared with natural attenuation during bioremediation of a sandy soil contaminated with diesel, biodiesel and blends (B20 and B50). Respirometric assays simulating the contamination of soil were carried out in Bartha flasks used to measure microbial CO 2 production. Penicillium sp. AV4 isolated from the wastewater of a biodiesel factory has the ability to degrade the fuels and was used in bioaugmentation. After 111 days, CO 2 evolution demonstrated no significant difference in soil microbial activity between fungal augmentation and natural attenuation treatments for all fuels. The lack of influence of Penicillium sp. AV4 can be related to its inability to compete with soil microorganisms and/or increase its metabolic activity. During natural attenuation, B50 showed a higher CO 2 production, followed by the B100, B20 and diesel, which is less biodegradable. Therefore, from a biodegradation perspective, biodiesel could be more beneficial than diesel during bioremediation spill.
Highlights
Fuels based on vegetable oils gained importance after indication of petroleum reserve depletion and environmental damage resulting from the exploration and use of this non-renewable fuel (Colla et al 2014)
AV4 was examined during redox indicator dichlorophenol indophenol (DCPIP) experiments (Figure 2)
The microbial preference for fuels containing biodiesel can be attributed to the presence of fatty acid methyl esters, which are a better source of carbon to support microbial growth when compared to petroleum hydrocarbons (Sørensen et al, 2011)
Summary
Fuels based on vegetable oils gained importance after indication of petroleum reserve depletion and environmental damage resulting from the exploration and use of this non-renewable fuel (Colla et al 2014). A mixture of monoalkyl esters of fatty acids, derived from transesterification of vegetable oils and animal fats (Knothe, 2010), is a clean renewable fuel recognized for its environmental benefits. There are 51 biodiesel factories operating in the country and the authorized production capacity is 20,930.81 m3 day-1. Mato Grosso and Rio Grande do Sul are the states with higher number of biodiesel factories, 15 and 9 respectively. The main feedstock used to produce biodiesel are soybean oil (64.8%) and animal fats (15.5%) (Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustível [ANP], 2017)
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