ABSTRACT
Managing phosphorus bioaccessibility is critical for the bioremediation of hydrocarbons in calcareous soils. This paper explores how soil mineralogy interacts with a novel biostimulatory solution to both control phosphorus bioavailability and influence bioremediation. Two large bore infiltrators (1 m diameter) were installed at a PHC contaminated site and continuously supplied with a solution containing nutrients and an electron acceptor. Soils from eight contaminated sites were prepared and pretreated, analyzed pretrial, spiked with diesel, placed into nylon bags into the infiltrators, and removed after 3 months. From XAS, we learned that three principal phosphate phases had formed: adsorbed phosphate, brushite, and newberyite. All measures of biodegradation in the samples (in situ degradation estimates, mineralization assays, culturable bacteria, catabolic genes) varied depending upon the soil's phosphate speciation. Notably, adsorbed phosphate increased anaerobic phenanthrene degradation and bzdN catabolic gene prevalence. The dominant mineralogical constraints on community composition were the relative amounts of adsorbed phosphate, brushite, and newberyite. Overall, this study finds that total phosphate influences microbial community phenotypes whereas relative percentages of phosphate minerals influences microbial community genotype composition.
