Biodegradation of bilge waste from Patagonia with an indigenous microbial community

Bioresour Technol. 2006 Dec;97(18):2280-90. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2005.10.042. Epub 2005 Dec 20.

Abstract

Oily residues that are generated in normal ship operation are considered hazardous wastes. A biodegradation assay with autochthonous microbiota of Bilge Waste Oily Phase (BWOP) was performed in a bioreactor under controlled conditions. Petroleum, diesel oil, and PAH degraders were isolated from bilge wastes. These bacteria belong to the genus Pseudomonas and are closely related to Pseudomonas stutzeri as shown by 16S rDNA phylogenetic analysis. The indigenous microbial community of the bilge waste was capable of biodegrading the BWOP (1% v/v) with biodegradation efficiencies of 70% for hexane extractable material (HEM), 68% for total hydrocarbons (TH) and 90% for total aromatics hydrocarbons (TA) in 14 days. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) was successfully applied to evaluate hydrocarbon evaporation in a control experiment and demonstrated a mass balance closure of 88%. The SPME and biodegradation results give useful information to improve and scale up the process for BWOP treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Petroleum / analysis
  • Petroleum / metabolism*
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / analysis
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / metabolism*
  • Pseudomonas / isolation & purification*
  • Pseudomonas / metabolism
  • Pseudomonas stutzeri / isolation & purification
  • Pseudomonas stutzeri / metabolism
  • Seawater / microbiology
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / metabolism*

Substances

  • Petroleum
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AY549498
  • GENBANK/AY549499
  • GENBANK/AY549500
  • GENBANK/AY549501
  • GENBANK/AY549502
  • GENBANK/AY549503
  • GENBANK/AY549504
  • GENBANK/AY549505