Bioremediation of Hexanoic Acid and Phenanthrene in Oil Sands Tailings by the Microbial Consortium BioTiger

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and naphthenic acids (NAs) are toxic contaminants of environmental concern found in process water and mature fine tailings, or tailings, from the oil sands industry. BioTiger™, a patented microbial consortium of twelve natural environmental isolates, was found...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology 2020-02, Vol.104 (2), p.253-258
Main Authors: Reddy, Daniel O., Milliken, Charles E., Foreman, Koji, Fox, Jasmine, Simpson, Waltena, Brigmon, Robin L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acids
Aquatic Pollution
Assaying
Bacteria - metabolism
Bacterial Adhesion
Biodegradation
Biodegradation, Environmental
Bioremediation
Biosurfactants
Caproates - metabolism
Consortia
Contaminants
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecotoxicology
Environment
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Health
Environmental perception
Hexanoic acid
Hydrocarbons
Methylene blue
Microbial Consortia - physiology
Microorganisms
Mine tailings
Naphthenic acids
Oil and Gas Fields - microbiology
Oil sands
Phenanthrene
Phenanthrenes - metabolism
Pollution
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Process water
Soil Pollutants - metabolism
Soil Science & Conservation
Surface-Active Agents - metabolism
Tailings
Waste Water Technology
Water Management
Water Pollution Control
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Summary:Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and naphthenic acids (NAs) are toxic contaminants of environmental concern found in process water and mature fine tailings, or tailings, from the oil sands industry. BioTiger™, a patented microbial consortium of twelve natural environmental isolates, was found to cometabolically biodegrade the NA hexanoic acid and the PAH phenanthrene in the presence of tailings. Hexanoamide was found to be produced and consumed during cometabolism of hexanoic acid. Mechanistic analysis demonstrated three of the BioTiger™ strains generated biosurfactants with the bacterial adhesion to hydrocarbons assay, seven with the methylene blue active substances assay, and nine with a hemolysis assay. Serial transfers of the BioTiger™ consortium demonstrated the stability of hexanoic acid degradation over several generations. The results demonstrate that BioTiger™ cometabolically biodegrades combinations of phenanthrene and hexanoic acid in tailings. This work reveals the potential for in situ bioremediation of tailings with this natural microbial consortium.
ISSN:0007-4861
1432-0800
DOI:10.1007/s00128-019-02776-x