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Enhanced Biodegradation of Alkane Hydrocarbons and Crude Oil by Mixed Strains and Bacterial Community Analysis

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Abstract

In this study, two strains, Acinetobacter sp. XM-02 and Pseudomonas sp. XM-01, were isolated from soil samples polluted by crude oil at Bohai offshore. The former one could degrade alkane hydrocarbons (crude oil and diesel, 1:4 (v/v)) and crude oil efficiently; the latter one failed to grow on alkane hydrocarbons but could produce rhamnolipid (a biosurfactant) with glycerol as sole carbon source. Compared with pure culture, mixed culture of the two strains showed higher capability in degrading alkane hydrocarbons and crude oil of which degradation rate were increased from 89.35 and 74.32 ± 4.09 to 97.41 and 87.29 ± 2.41 %, respectively. In the mixed culture, Acinetobacter sp. XM-02 grew fast with sufficient carbon source and produced intermediates which were subsequently utilized for the growth of Pseudomonas sp. XM-01 and then, rhamnolipid was produced by Pseudomonas sp. XM-01. Till the end of the process, Acinetobacter sp. XM-02 was inhibited by the rapid growth of Pseudomonas sp. XM-01. In addition, alkane hydrocarbon degradation rate of the mixed culture increased by 8.06 to 97.41 % compared with 87.29 % of the pure culture. The surface tension of medium dropping from 73.2 × 10−3 to 28.6 × 10−3 N/m. Based on newly found cooperation between the degrader and the coworking strain, rational investigations and optimal strategies to alkane hydrocarbons biodegradation were utilized for enhancing crude oil biodegradation.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support provided by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (No. 2014CB745100), the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin, the Seed Foundation of Tianjin University, the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities (No. B06006), the Science and Technology Project from China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC-KJ 125 ZDXM 25JAB NFCY 2013-01) and the Science and Technology Project of Tianjin Binhai New Area (2012-XJR23017).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People’s Republic of China

    Yu Chen & Xueyi You

  2. China Offshore Environmental Services Ltd., Tianjin, 300452, People’s Republic of China

    Yu Chen

  3. Department of Biological Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People’s Republic of China

    Chen Li, Zhengxi Zhou, Jianping Wen, Youzhi Mao, Chunzhe Lu, Guangxin Huo & Xiaoqiang Jia

  4. Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People’s Republic of China

    Jianping Wen & Xiaoqiang Jia

  5. Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, People’s Republic of China

    Jianping Wen & Xiaoqiang Jia

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  1. Yu Chen
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  2. Chen Li
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Correspondence to Xiaoqiang Jia.

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Chen, Y., Li, C., Zhou, Z. et al. Enhanced Biodegradation of Alkane Hydrocarbons and Crude Oil by Mixed Strains and Bacterial Community Analysis. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 172, 3433–3447 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-014-0777-6

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