Degradation of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) by a consortium obtained from a contaminated soil composed of Brevibacterium, Pandoraea and Ochrobactrum

• Published in: World journal of microbiology & biotechnology 2009, Vol.25 (1), p.165-170
• Main Authors: Liz, Juan Antonio Zermeño-Eguia, Jan-Roblero, Janet, de la Serna, Javier Zavala-Díaz, de León, Arturo Vera-Ponce, Hernández-Rodríguez, César
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied Microbiology; Bacteria; Bioaccumulation; Biochemistry; Biodegradation; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Brevibacterium; Contamination; Degradation; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Oil pollution; Pandoraea; PCB; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Short Communication; Soil (material); Soil contamination; Strain
• ISSN: 0959-3993; 1573-0972
• DOI: 10.1007/s11274-008-9875-3

An indigenous polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-degrading bacterial consortium was obtained from soils contaminated by transformer oil with a high content of PCBs. The PCB degrader strains were isolated and identified as Brevibacterium antarcticum, Pandoraea pnomenusa, and Ochrobactrum intermedium by 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogenetic analysis. The PCB-degrading ability of the consortium and of individual strains was determined by using GC/MS. The PCB-degrading capacities of the consortium were evaluated for three concentrations of transfomer oil ranging from 55 to 152 μM supplemented with 0.001% biphenyl and 0.1% of Tween 80 surfactant. PCB biodegradation by the consortium was favored in the presence of both additives and the greatest extent of biodegradation (67.5%) was obtained at a PCB concentration of 55 μM. Each bacterial species exhibited a particular pattern of degradation relating to specific PCB congeners. Isolated strains showed a moderate degradation capability towards tetra-, hepta-, and octa-chlorobiphenyls; although no effect on penta-, hexa-, and nona-chlorobiphenyls was observed. Recently, PCB degradation capacity was recognized in a Pandorea member; however, this is the first study that describes the ability of Brevibacterium and Ochrobactrum species to degrade PCBs.