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Bioaugmentation for the enhancement of hydrocarbon phytoremediation by rhizobacteria consortium in pilot horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands

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Abstract

The development of the bioaugmentation during the phytoremediation of contaminated water with diesel in pilot horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands was investigated for 63 days. The objective of this study was to examine the enrichment of rhizobacteria in a pilot-scale system for efficient treatment of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) effluent. A consortium of three rhizobacteria strains (Bacillus aquimaris, Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus), which were able to utilize hydrocarbon compounds as sole carbon sources, was injected into the constructed wetlands (batchwise operation) planted with Scirpus grossus. The TPH removals from water, without or with the addition of rhizobacteria, were found to be 72 and 84%, while from sand was found to be 59 and 77%, for each treatment, respectively. These results showed that the rhizobacteria strains could enhance S. grossus growth by decreasing diesel stress and protecting S. grossus against diesel, with 12 and 18% additional TPH removal from water and sand, respectively. Our results demonstrate that S. grossus is potential to improve the phytoremediation of hydrocarbon contaminants through inoculation with effective rhizobacterial strains.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (DIP-2014-020 and GUP-2015-022) and the Tasik Chini Research Centre for supporting this research project. They also acknowledge with thanks to the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research for providing a doctoral scholarship for the first author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    I. A. Al-Baldawi, S. R. S. Abdullah & N. Anuar

  2. Tasik Chini Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    I. Mushrifah

  3. Department of Biochemical Engineering, Al-khwarizmi College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

    I. A. Al-Baldawi

Authors
  1. I. A. Al-Baldawi
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  2. S. R. S. Abdullah
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  3. N. Anuar
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  4. I. Mushrifah
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to I. A. Al-Baldawi.

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Editorial responsibility: M. Abbaspour.

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Al-Baldawi, I.A., Abdullah, S.R.S., Anuar, N. et al. Bioaugmentation for the enhancement of hydrocarbon phytoremediation by rhizobacteria consortium in pilot horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 14, 75–84 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-016-1120-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-016-1120-2

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