Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biodegradation of organic pollutants in saline wastewater by halophilic microorganisms: a review

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Agro-food, petroleum, textile, and leather industries generate saline wastewater with a high content of organic pollutants such as aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, nitroaromatics, and azo dyes. Halophilic microorganisms are of increasing interest in industrial waste treatment, due to their ability to degrade hazardous substances efficiently under high salt conditions. However, their full potential remains unexplored. The isolation and identification of halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms from geographically unrelated and geologically diverse hypersaline sites supports their application in bioremediation processes. Past investigations in this field have mainly focused on the elimination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phenols, whereas few studies have investigated N-aromatic compounds, such as nitro-substituted compounds, amines, and azo dyes, in saline wastewater. Information regarding the growth conditions and degradation mechanisms of halophilic microorganisms is also limited. In this review, we discuss recent research on the removal of organic pollutants such as organic matter, in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), dyes, hydrocarbons, N-aliphatic and N-aromatic compounds, and phenols, in conditions of high salinity. In addition, some proposal pathways for the degradation of aromatic compounds are presented.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abou-Elela SI, Kamel MM, Fawzy ME (2010) Biological treatment of saline wastewater using salt tolerant microorganisms. Desalination 250:1–5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Afzal M, Iqbal S, Rauf S, Khalid ZM (2007) Characteristics of phenol biodegradation in saline solutions by monocultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas pseudomallei. J Hazard Mater 149:60–66

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Mailem DM, Sorkhoh NA, Al-Awadhi H, Eliyas M, Radwan SS (2010) Biodegradation of crude oil and pure hydrocarbons by extreme halophilic archaea from hypersaline coasts of the Arabian Gulf. Extremophiles 14:321–328

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aloui F, Khoufi S, Loukil S, Sayadi S (2009) Performances of an activated sludge process for the treatment of fish processing saline wastewater. Desalination 246:389–396

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alva VA, Peyton BM (2003) Phenol and catechol biodegradation by the haloalkaliphile Halomonas campisalis: influence of pH and salinity. Environ Sci Technol 37(19):4397–4402

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Amoozegar MA, Ashengroph M, Malekzadeh F, Reza Razavi M, Naddaf S, Kabiri M (2008) Isolation and initial characterization of the tellurite reducing moderately halophilic bacterium, Salinicoccus sp. strain QW6. Microbiol Res 163:456–465

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arulazhagan P, Vasudevan N (2009) Role of a moderately halophilic bacterial consortium in the biodegradation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Mar Pollut Bull 58:256–262

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arulazhagan P, Vasudevan N (2011a) Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by a halotolerant bacterial strain Ochrobactrum sp. VA1. Mar Pollut Bull 62:388–394

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arulazhagan P, Vasudevan N (2011b) Role of nutrients in the utilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by halotolerant bacterial strain. J Environ Sci 23(2):282–287

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Asad S, Amoozegar MA, Pourbabaee AA, Sarbolouki MN, Dastgheib SMM (2007) Decolorization of textile azo dyes by newly isolated halophilic and halotolerant bacteria. Bioresource Technol 98(11):2082–2088

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Balamurugan B, Thirumarimurugan M, Kannadasan T (2011) Anaerobic degradation of textile dye bath effluent using Halomonas sp. Bioresource Technol 102:6365–6369

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barragán BE, Costa C, Márquez MC (2007) Biodegradation of azo dyes by bacteria inoculated on solid media. Dyes Pigments 7:75–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Barragán-Huerta BE, Costa- Pérez C, Peralta-Cruz J, Barrera-Cortés J, Esparza-García F, Rodríguez-Vázquez R (2007) Biodegradation of organochlorine pesticides by bacteria grown in microniches of the porous structure of green bean coffee. Int Biodeter Biodegrad 59:239–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonfá MRL, Grossman MJ, Mellado E, Durrant LR (2011) Biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons by haloarchaea and their use for the reduction of the chemical oxygen demand of the hypersaline petroleum produced water. Chemosphere 84:1671–1676

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonfá MRL, Grossman MJ, Piubeli F, Mellado E, Durrant LR (2013) Phenol degradation by halophilic bacteria isolated from hypersaline environments. Biodegradation 24:699–709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Busca G, Berardinelli S, Resini C, Arrighi L (2008) Technologies for the removal of phenol from fluids streams: a short review of recent developments. J Hazard Mater 160:265–288

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Campo P, Platten W III, Suidan MT, Chai Y, Davis JW (2011) Aerobic biodegradation of amines in industrial saline wastewater. Chemosphere 85:1199–1203

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chan GF, Rashid NAA, Chua LS, llah NA, Nasiri R, Roslan M, Ikubar M (2012) Communal microaerophilic–aerobic biodegradation of Amaranth by novel NAR-2 bacterial consortium. Bioresource Technol 105:48–59

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen KC, Wu JY, Liou DJ (2003) Decolorization of the textile dyes by newly isolated bacterial strains. J Biotechnol 101(1):57–68

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dafale N, Rao NN, Meshram SU, Wate SR (2008) Decolorization of azo dyes and simulated dye bath wastewater using acclimatized microbial consortium—biostimulation and halotolerance. Bioresource Technol 99:2552–2558

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dastgheib SMM, Amoozegar MA, Khajeh K, Shavandi M, Ventosa A (2012) Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by a halophilic microbial consortium. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 95:789–798

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Diaz MP, Boyd KG, Grigson SJW, Burgess JG (2002) Biodegradation of crude oil across a wide range of salinities by an extremely halotolerant bacterial consortium MPD-M, immobilized onto polypropylene fibers. Biotechnol Bioeng 79(2):145–153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dincer AR, Kargi F (2000) Effects of operating parameters on performances of nitrification and denitrification processes. Bioprocess Eng 23(1):75–80

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dincer AR, Kargi F (2001) Performance of rotating biological disc system treating saline wastewater. Process Biochem 36:901–906

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Djeridi I, Militon C, Grossi V, Cuny P (2013) Evidence for surfactant production by the haloarchaeon Haloferax sp. MSNC14 in hydrocarbon-containing media. Extremophiles 17:669–675

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dosta J, Nieto JM, Vila J, Grifoll M, Mata-Álvarez J (2011) Phenol removal from hypersaline wastewaters in a Membrane Biological Reactor (MBR): operation and microbiological characterization. Bioresource Technol 102:4013–4020

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El Hajjouji H, Pinelli E, Guiresse M, Merlina G, Revel JC, Hafidi M (2007) Assessment of the genotoxicity of olive mill waste water (OMWW) with the Vicia faba micronucleus test. Mutat Res 634:25–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erdogmus SF, Mutlu B, Korcan SE, Güven K, Konuk M (2013) Aromatic hydrocarbon degradation by halophilic archaea isolated from Camalti Saltern, Turkey. Water Air Soil Pollut 224:1449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fairley DJ, Boyd DR, Sharma ND, Allen CCR, Morgan P, Larkin MJ (2002) Aerobic metabolism of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in Archaea via an unusual pathway involving an intramolecular migration (NIH shift). Appl Environ Microbiol 68:6246–6255

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Farag S, Soliman NA (2011) Biodegradation of crude petroleum oil and environmental pollutants by Candida tropicalis strain. Braz Arch Biol Technol 54:821–830

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Feng TC, Cui CZ, Dong F, Feng YY, Liu YD, Yang XM (2012) Phenanthrene biodegradation by halophilic Martelella sp. AD-3. J Appl Microbiol 113:779–789

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • García MT, Ventosa A, Mellado E (2005) Catabolic versatility of aromatic compound-degrading halophilic bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 54:97–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gayathri KV, Vasudevan N (2010) Enrichment of phenol degrading moderately halophilic bacterial consortium from saline environment. J Bioremed Biodegrad 1:104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghevariya CM, Bhatt JK, Dave BP (2011) Enhanced chrysene degradation by halotolerant Achromobacter xylosoxidans using response surface methodology. Bioresource Technol 102:9668–9674

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo J, Zhou J, Wang D, Tian C, Wang P, Uddin MS (2008) A novel moderately halophilic bacterium for decolorizing azo dye under high salt condition. Biodegradation 19:15–19

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haddadi A, Shavandi M (2013) Biodegradation of phenol in hypersaline conditions by Halomonas sp. strain PH2-2 isolated from saline soil. Int Biodeter Biodegrad 85:29–34

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hao R, Lu A (2009) Biodegradation of heavy oils by halophilic bacterium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 19:997–1001

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hinteregger C, Streichsbier F (1997) Halomonas sp., a moderately halophilic strain, for biotreatment of saline phenolic waste-water. Biotechnol Lett 19(11):1099–1102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs RPWM, Grant ROH, Kwant J, Marqueine JM, Mentzer E (1992) The composition of produced water from shell operated oil and gas production in the North Sea. In: Ray JP, Englehart FR (eds) Produced water. Plenum Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Jin Q, Hu Z, Jin Z, Qiu L, Zhong W, Pan Z (2012) Biodegradation of aniline in an alkaline environment by a novel strain of the halophilic bacterium, Dietzia natronolimnaea JQ-AN. Bioresource Technol 117:148–154

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kapdan IK, Erten B (2007) Anaerobic treatment of saline wastewater by Halanaerobium lacusrosei. Process Biochem 42:449–453

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kargi F (2002) Enhanced biological treatment of saline wastewater by using halophilic bacteria. Biotechnol Lett 24:1569–1572

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kargi F, Dincer AR (1998) Saline wastewater treatment by halophile-supplemented activated sludge culture in an aerated rotating biodisc contactor. Enzyme Microb Technol 22:427–433

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kargi F, Dincer AR, Pala A (2000) Characterization and biological treatment of pickling industry wastewater. Bioprocess Eng 23:371–374

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khomyakova M, Bükmez O, Thomas LK, Erb TJ, Berg IA (2011) A methylaspartate cycle in haloarchaea. Science 331:333–337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinsteuber S, Riis V, Fetzer I, Harms H, Müller S (2006) Population dynamics within a microbial consortium during growth on diesel fuel in saline environments. Appl Environ Microbiol 72:3531–3542

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence SA (2004) Amines: synthesis, properties, and applications. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Borgne S, Paniagua D, Vazquez-Duhalt R (2008) Biodegradation of organic pollutants by halophilic bacteria and archaea. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol 15:74–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lefebvre O, Moletta R (2006) Treatment of organic pollution in industrial saline wastewater: a literature review. Water Res 40:3671–3682

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lefebvre O, Vasudevan N, Torrijos M, Thanasekaran K, Moletta R (2005) Halophilic biological treatment of tannery soak liquor in a sequencing batch reactor. Water Res 39:1471–1480

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leitão AL, Duarte MP, Santos Oliveira J (2007) Degradation of phenol by a halotolerant strain of Penicillium chrysogenum. Int Biodeter Biodegrad 59:220–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Jin Z, Yu B (2010) Isolation and characterization of aniline degradations lightly halophilic bacterium, Erwinia sp. strain HSA6. Microbiol Res 165:418–426

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li H, Zhang Q, Wang XL, Ma XY, Lin KF, Liu YD, Gu JD, Lu SG, Shi L, Lu Q, Shen TT (2012) Biodegradation of benzene homologues in contaminated sediment of the East China Sea. Bioresource Technol 124:129–136

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin SH, Shyu CT, Sun MC (1998) Saline wastewater treatment by electrochemical method. Water Res 32(4):1059–1066

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lozach E (2001) Salt and micro-organisms. Ecole Nationale Veterinaire d’Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, p 98

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohanty S, Dafale N, Rao NN (2006) Microbial decolorization of reactive black 5 in a two-stage anaerobic-aerobic reactor using acclimatized activated textile sludge. Biodegradation 17:403–413

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moussavi G, Barikbin B, Mahmoudi M (2010) The removal of high concentrations of phenol from saline wastewater using aerobic granular SBR. Chem Engine J 158:498–504

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ogugbue CJ, Sawidis T, Oranusi NA (2011) Evaluation of colour removal in synthetic saline wastewater containing azo dyes using an immobilized halotolerant cell system. Ecol Eng 37:2056–2060

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oren A (2002a) Diversity of halophilic microorganisms: environments, phylogeny, physiology, and applications. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 28:56–63

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oren A (2002b) Molecular ecology of extremely halophilic Archaea and Bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 39:1–7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oren A (2010) Industrial and environmental applications of halophilic microorganisms. Environ Technol 31:825–834

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oren A, Gurevich P, Henis Y (1991) Reduction of nitrosubstituted aromatic compounds by the halophilic anaerobic eubacteria Haloanaerobium praevalens and Sporohalobacter marismortui. Appl Environ Microbiol 57:3367–3370

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oren A, Gurevich P, Azachi M, Henis Y (1992) Microbial degradation of pollutants at high salt concentrations. Biodegradation 3:387–398

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oturkar CC, Nemade HN, Mulika PM, Patole MS, Hawaldar RR, Gawai KR (2011) Mechanistic investigation of decolorization and degradation of Reactive Red 120 by Bacillus lentus BI377. Bioresource Technol 102:758–764

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pandey A, Singh P, Lyengar L (2007) Bacterial decolorization and degradation of azo dyes. Int Biodeterior Biodegradation 59(2):73–84

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Piubelli F, Grossman MJ, Fantinatti-Garboggini F, Durrant LR (2012) Enhanced reduction of COD and aromatics in petroleum-produced water using indigenous microorganisms and nutrient addition. Int Biodeter Biodegrad 68:78–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ravikumar S, Parimala PS, Gokulakrishnan R (2011) Biodegradation of phenolic compounds by using halotolerant microbes. Int J Plant Anim Environ Sci 1(2):38–45

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saratale RG, Saratale GD, Chang JS, Govindwara SP (2011) Bacterial decolorization and degradation of azo dyes: a review. J Taiwan Inst Chem Eng 42:138–157

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sei A, Fathepure BZ (2009) Biodegradation of BTEX at high salinity by an enrichment culture from hypersaline sediments of Rozel Point at Great Salt Lake. J Appl Microbiol 107:2001–2008

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seo JS, Keum YS, Hu Y, Lee SE, Li QX (2007) Degradation of phenanthrene by Burkholderia sp. C3: initial 1,2- and 3,4- dioxygenation and meta- and ortho-cleavage of naphthalene-1,2-diol. Biodegradation 18:123–131

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sohn JH, Kwon KK, Kang JH, Jung HB, Kim SJ (2004) Novosphingobium pentaromativorans sp. nov., a high-molecular-mass polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium isolated from estuarine sediment. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 54:1483–1487

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Solis M, Solis A, Pérez HI, Manjarrez N, Flores M (2012) Microbial decolouration of azo dyes: a review. Process Biochem 47:1723–1748

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Speight JG (2007) The chemistry and technology of petroleum, 4th edn. Marcel Dekker, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan L, Qu YY, Zhou JT, Li A, Gou M (2009) Identification and characteristics of a novel salt tolerant Exiguobacterium sp. for azo dye decolorization. Appl Biochem Biotech 159:728–738

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tapilatu YH, Grossi V, Acquaviva M, Militon C, Bertrand JC, Cuny P (2010) Isolation of hydrocarbon-degrading extremely halophilic archaea from an uncontaminated hypersaline pond (Camargue, France). Extremophiles 14:225–231

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tapingkae W, Tanasupawat S, Parkin KL, Benjakul S, Visessanguan W (2010) Degradation of histamine by extremely halophilic archaea isolated from high-salt fermented fishery products. Enzyme Microb Technol 46:92–99

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Uddin MS, Zhou J, Qu Y, Guo J, Wang P, Zhao LH (2007) Biodecolorization of azo dye acid red B under high salinity condition. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 79:440–444

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van der Zee FP, Villaverde S (2005) Combined anaerobic–aerobic treatment of azo dyes—a short review of bioreactor studies. Wat Res 39(8):1425–1440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veil JA, Puder M, Elcock D, Redweik R Jr. (2004) A white paper describing produced water from production of crude oil, natural gas, and coal bed methane. Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois for the US Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory

  • von Wedal RJ, Mosquera JF, Goldsmith CD, Hater GR, Wong A, Fox TA, Hunt WT, Paulies MS, Quiros JM, Wiegand JW (1988) Bacterial biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in groundwater: in situ augmented bioreclamation with enrichments isolates in California. Water Sci Technol 20:501–503

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang P, Qu Y, Zhou J (2009) Biodegradation of mixed phenolic compounds under high salt conditions and salinity fluctuations by Arthrobacter sp. W1. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 159:623–633

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whitehouse BG (1984) The effects of temperature and salinity on the aqueous solubility of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Mar Chem 14:319–332

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Woolard CR, Irvine RL (1995) Treatment of hypersaline wastewater in the sequencing batch reactor. Water Res 29:1159–1168

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Y, Li T, Yang L (2012) Mechanisms of removing pollutants from aqueous solutions by microorganisms and their aggregates: a review. Bioresource Technol 107:10–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Y, Xia L, Yu Z, Shabbir S, Kerr PG (2014) In situ bioremediation of surface waters by periphytons. Bioresource Technol 151:367–372

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xia W, Li J, Xia Y, Song Z, Zhou J (2012) Optimization of diesel oil biodegradation in seawater using statistical experimental methodology. Water Sci Tech 66:1301–1309

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao B, Wang H, Mao X, Li R (2009) Biodegradation of phenanthrene by a halophilic bacterial consortium under aerobic conditions. Curr Microbiol 58:205–210

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong Y, Luan TG, Lin L, Liu H, Tam NFY (2011) Production of metabolites in the biodegradation of phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene by the mixed culture of Mycobacterium sp. and Sphingomonas sp. Bioresource Technol 102:2965–2972

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhuang S, Han Z, Bai Z, Zhuang G, Shim H (2010) Progress in decontamination by halophilic microorganisms in saline wastewater and soil. Environ Pollut 158:1119–1126

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The present research was financially supported by the National Polytechnic Institute (Project SIP-20131865). L Castillo-Carvajal received a scholarship from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (México).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ingeniería en Sistemas Ambientales, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av. Wilfrido Massieu, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, D.F, 07738, Mexico

    Laura C. Castillo-Carvajal & Blanca E. Barragán-Huerta

  2. Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/Darwin 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    José Luis Sanz-Martín

Authors
  1. Laura C. Castillo-Carvajal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. José Luis Sanz-Martín
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Blanca E. Barragán-Huerta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Blanca E. Barragán-Huerta.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Robert Duran

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Castillo-Carvajal, L.C., Sanz-Martín, J.L. & Barragán-Huerta, B.E. Biodegradation of organic pollutants in saline wastewater by halophilic microorganisms: a review. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 9578–9588 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3036-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3036-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation