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Potential of Pyrene Removal from Urban Environments by the Activities of Bacteria and Biosurfactant on Ornamental Plant Leaves

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Abstract

Pyrene is a dominant PAH in urban environments. It can combine with airborne particulates and accumulate on plant leaves. To investigate pyrene’s biodegradation potential, this study initially monitored the abundance of airborne and phyllosphere bacteria. The number of airborne pyrene-degrading bacteria ranged from 22 to 152 CFU m−3 air, and more bacteria were found in the proximity of the ornamental plant swath than along the roadside. Pyrene-degrading bacteria averaged 5 × 104 CFU g−1 on the leaves of all tested plant species and accounted for approximately 7% of the total population. Four pyrene-degrading bacteria were isolated from I. coccinea to use as model phyllosphere bacteria. To increase the bioavailability of pyrene, a lipopeptide biosurfactant was applied. Kocuria sp. IC3 showed the highest pyrene degradation in the medium containing biosurfactant. The removal of deposited pyrene at 30 μg g−1 leaf was monitored in a glass chamber containing I. coccinea twigs. After 14 days, leaves containing both Kocuria sp. IC3 and 0.1× CMC biosurfactant showed 100% pyrene removal with the most abundant bacteria. The system with biosurfactant alone also enhanced the activities of phyllosphere bacteria with 94% pyrene removal. Consequently, the bioremediation of deposited pyrene could be achieved by spraying biosurfactant on ornamental shrubs.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Office of the Higher Education Commission, the Center of Excellence on Hazardous Substance Management (HSM), the 90th Anniversary of Chulalongkorn University Fund (Ratchadaphiseksomphot Endowment Fund), the Asahi Glass Foundation and Mae Fah Luang University for their financial supports of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Postgraduate Programs in Environmental Management, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Weerayuth Siriratruengsuk

  2. Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment and Pollution Control Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan

    Masami Furuuchi

  3. Research Program on Remediation Technologies for Petroleum Contamination, Center of Excellence on Hazardous Substance Management (HSM), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Tassanee Prueksasit & Ekawan Luepromchai

  4. Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Tassanee Prueksasit

  5. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Ekawan Luepromchai

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  1. Weerayuth Siriratruengsuk
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  2. Masami Furuuchi
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  3. Tassanee Prueksasit
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  4. Ekawan Luepromchai
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Correspondence to Ekawan Luepromchai.

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Siriratruengsuk, W., Furuuchi, M., Prueksasit, T. et al. Potential of Pyrene Removal from Urban Environments by the Activities of Bacteria and Biosurfactant on Ornamental Plant Leaves. Water Air Soil Pollut 228, 264 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3435-0

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