Hydrocarbon Remediation by Patagonian Microbial Consortia
Among the technologies for recovering hydrocarbon-polluted sites, bioremediation is particularly interesting for wastewater and residue treatment. In this chapter, we first introduce hydrocarbon bioremediation focusing on the hydrocarbon biodegradation ca
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Hydrocarbon Remediation by Patagonian Microbial Consortia Marina L. Nievas, Rosana Polifroni, Federico del Brio, and Marcela A. Sepúlveda
Abstract Among the technologies for recovering hydrocarbon-polluted sites, bioremediation is particularly interesting for wastewater and residue treatment. In this chapter, we first introduce hydrocarbon bioremediation focusing on the hydrocarbon biodegradation capabilities of microorganisms of the marine environment. Then, the context of petroleum hydrocarbons in the Argentinean Patagonia coast is depicted, and recent advances in bioprospection of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms from polluted sediments are reviewed. Finally, we discuss bilge waste bioremediation by Patagonian autochthonous microbial consortium as a treatment alternative. In particular focusing on the extent of hydrocarbon biodegradation, bioremediation trials at different experimental scales and bilge waste microbial community members are reviewed.
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Introduction
Hydrocarbon pollution is widespread in the marine environment, causing serious environmental problems by catastrophic oil spills, such as those of the Deepwater Horizon, Prestige, or Exxon Valdez accidents (NRC 2003; Head et al. 2006; Díez et al. 2007; Camilli et al. 2010). Further, chronic pollution caused by the massive usage of petroleum-derived products, of which part reaches the environment as a sum of small-sized but frequent spills, is significant in the sea (NRC 2003; Head et al. 2006). Microorganisms have a key role in the biogeochemistry cycle of organic
M.L. Nievas (*) Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR-CONICET), Blvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina Facultad Regional Chubut, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Av. del Trabajo 1536, Puerto Madryn, Argentina e-mail: [email protected] R. Polifroni • F. del Brio • M.A. Sepúlveda Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR-CONICET), Blvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 N.L. Olivera et al. (eds.), Biology and Biotechnology of Patagonian Microorganisms, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-42801-7_4
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matter in the biosphere (Kaiser and Attrill 2011). Biodegradation involves the breakdown of organic compounds carried out by the metabolic activity of organisms, the role of microorganisms being dominant. Despite their toxicity, most organic pollutants undergo biodegradation by specialized microorganisms, either through biotransformation into less complex metabolites or through mineralization into innocuous compounds (McGenity et al. 2012). Hydrocarbon biodegradation occurs naturally within a variety of environments, in aerobic and anaerobic conditions (McGenity et al. 2012; Cravo-Laureau and Duran 2014). Moreover, microbial biodegradation is believed to be the most important hydrocarbon cleanup process in the aquatic environment (NRC 2003; Head et al. 2006). In addition to the relevance of biodegradation at the environmental level, this natural process is the basis
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