Investigation of Microbes in the Rhizosphere of Selected Trees for the Rhizoremediation of Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soils
Hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms (HDMs), associated with the rhizosphere of Conocarpus lancifolius and Ficus infectoria trees grown in bioremediated soil, were isolated under controlled laboratory conditions. The selected trees were used to phytoremediate oil-contaminated soil for
three successive growing seasons. At the end of the phytoremediation experiment, 85.7% of measurable total petroleum hydrocarbon was degraded in the rhizosphere soil associated with Conocarpus lancifolius compared to 78.6% in the rhizosphere of Ficus infectoria. The detectable concentrations
of some polyaromatic hydrocarbons were less than 0.02 ppm. The HDM isolation process was conducted at 35°C under aerobic conditions. The isolated HDMs were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and fatty acid methyl ester analysis. Differences in the genera of the isolated HDMs and
their assessed efficiency in degrading a mixture of hydrocarbon compounds between the two trees were noted.
Keywords: Conocarpus lancifolius; Ficus infectoria; Phytoremediation; hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms; polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH)
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: 1: Biotechnology Department, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Safat, Kuwait 2: Central Analytical Laboratory, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Safat, Kuwait
Publication date: 01 July 2008
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