Draft genome sequence of phenol degrading Acinetobacter sp. Strain V2, isolated from oil contaminated soil

Abstract We report here the draft genome sequence of Acinetobacter sp. Strain V2 isolated from the oil contaminated soil collected from ENGEN, Amanzimtoti, South Africa. Degradation of phenolic compounds such as phenol, toluene, aniline etc. at 400 ppm in 24 h and oil degrading capability makes this organism an efficient multifunctional bioremediator. Genome sequencing of Acinetobacter spp. V2 was carried out on Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform (performed by the Beijing Genomics Institute [BGI], Shenzhen, China). The data obtained revealed 643 contigs with genome size of 4.0 Mb and G + C content of 38.59%.

Electrobiorremeiiación de un suelo con una contaminación antigua de hidrocarburo / Electrobiorremediation of a Soil with an Old Hydrocarbon Contamination

La electrobiorremediación es la técnica híbrida que suma los efectos de la electrorremediación a la degradación bacteriana de diferentes contaminantes. El objetivo de este estudio fue utilizar esta técnica para aumentar la biodisponibilidad de los hidrocarburos presentes en un suelo con contaminación antigua y su eliminación. El experimento duró 63 días y se realizó en una cuba de vidrio con tres compartimentos comunicados por puentes salinos de buffer fosfato que permitieron establecer la diferencia de voltaje y mantener el pH del suelo en valores óptimos para la vida bacteriana. Se determinaron: pH, humedad, hidrocarburos totales del petróleo (TPH) y bacterias. Los resultados mostraron una disminución de los hidrocarburos siendo la región del cátodo la que mejor eliminó los hidrocarburos, con solo el 9,4 % y 5,46 % de los hidrocarburos alcanos y poliaromáticos; en la celda control estos valores fueron del 15,28 y 14,4 % respectivamente, mientras que el centro fue el lugar que menor degradación presentó quedando el 19,49 % y el 17,88 % de los hidrocarburos alcanos y PAH. Concluimos que los resultados de laboratorio indican la posibilidad de incrementar la biodegradación en suelos con tratamientos biológicos previos.

Electrobioremediation (EKB) is a hybrid technique that combines bioremediation with electrokinetics. EKB uses bioremediation to degrade hydrocarbon contaminants and EK to mobilize them. The aim of this study was to use a technique for increasing the bioavailability of the hydrocarbons in soil pollution. The 63-day experiment was conducted in a three compartment glass vial connected by three salt bridges of phosphate buffer that established a voltage difference and maintained soil pH optimum for bacterial life value​​. pH, moisture, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and bacteria were determined. The results showed a decrease in hydrocarbon, the best results were close to the cathode, where only 9.4 % and 5.46 % of alkanes and polyaromatic hydrocarbons were left. In the control cell these values ​​were 15.28 and 14.4 % respectively, while the center generated less degradation with 19.49 % and 17.88% of alkanes and PAH hydrocarbons left. We conclude that the results from the laboratory study indicated that this technique gives the possibility of increasing biodegradation in soils with previous biological treatments.

Characterization of pyrene utilizing Bacillus spp. from crude oil contaminated soil

Pyrene, a high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), is a priority pollutant present in soil contaminated with crude oil, coal-tar and complex PAHs. Bacterial consortium CON-3 developed from crude oil contaminated soil of Patiala, Punjab (India) cometabolized 50 µg ml-1 pyrene in the presence of glucose (0.5 %; w/v) at 30 °C, as determined by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Bacillus sp. PK-12, Bacillus sp. PK-13 and Bacillus sp. PK-14 from CON-3, identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, were able to cometabolize 64 %, 55 % and 53 % of pyrene in 35 days, respectively. With the increase in glucose concentration to 1.0 % (w/v) in growth medium isolates PK-12, PK-13 and PK-14 showed 19 - 46 % uptake of 50 µg ml-1 pyrene in 4 days, respectively. Uptake of pyrene was correlated with growth and biosurfactant activity, which is suggestive of the potential role of members of Bacillus genera in pyrene mobilization and its uptake.