Journal
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Volume 280, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111648
Keywords
alkB genes; Bioreactors; Organic wastes; Soil clean-up; PHCs
Categories
Funding
- European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant [643071]
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The study demonstrates the potential of digestate as a soil amendment to enhance alkB gene abundance in petroleum contaminated soils, resulting in improved soil respiration and bacterial density. Application of digestate also led to increased microbial diversity, including taxa containing recognized PHCs degraders, contributing to enhanced PHCs degradation.
Sewage sludge digestate is a valuable organic waste which can be used as fertilizer in soil bioremediation. Sewage sludge digestate is not only a good source of nutrients but is also rich in bacteria carrying alkB genes, which are involved in aliphatic hydrocarbons metabolism. Increase of alkB genes ratio in polluted soils has been observed to improve bioremediation efficiency. In this study, for the first time, the genetic potential of indigenous microorganisms of digestate to degrade petroleum products was assessed. The objectives were to study petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) removal together with shifts in soil taxa and changes in the concentration of alkB genes after digestate application. Initial alkB genes concentration in contaminated soils and digestate was 1.5% and 4.5%, respectively. During soil incubation with digestate, alkB genes percentage increased up to 11.5% and after the addition of bacteria immobilized onto biochar this value increased up to 60%. Application of digestate positively affected soil respiration and bacterial density, which was concomitant with enhanced PHCs degradation. Incubation of soil amended with digestate resulted in 74% PHCs decrease in 2 months, while extra addition of bacteria immobilized onto biochar increased this value up to 95%. The use of digestate affected the microbial community profiles by increasing initial bacterial density and diversity, including taxa containing recognized PHCs degraders. This study reveals the great potential of digestate as a soil amendment which additionally improves the abundance of alkB genes in petroleum contaminated soils.
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