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Unraveling the Positive Effect of Soil Moisture on the Bioaugmentation of Petroleum-Contaminated Soil Using Bioinformatics

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Abstract

Petroleum contamination is a severe threat to the soil environment. Previous studies have demonstrated that petroleum degradation efficiency is promoted by enhancing soil moisture content (MC). However, the effects of MC on soil microbial ecological functions during bioremediation remain unclear. Here, we investigated the impacts of 5% and 15% of moisture contents on petroleum degradation, soil microbial structures and functions, and the related genes using high-throughput sequencing and gene function prediction. Results indicated that petroleum biodegradation efficiency was increased by 8.06% in the soils with 15% MC when compared to that with 5% of MC. The complexity and stability of soil microbial community structures with 15% MC were higher than those in the soils with 5% MC when hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial flora (HDBF) were inoculated into the soils. Fifteen percent of moisture content strengthened the interaction of the bacterial community network and reduced the loss of some key bacteria species including Mycobacterium, Sphingomonas, and Gemmatimonas. Some downregulated gene pathways relating to bioaugmentation were enhanced in the soils with 15% MC. The results suggested that the dynamic balances of microbial communities and the metabolic interactions by 15% MC treatment are the driving forces for the enhancement of bioremediation in petroleum-contaminated soil.

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Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52070154) and Key R&D Projects of Shaanxi Province (2023-YBNY-251).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, 710055, People’s Republic of China

    Huan Gao, Manli Wu, Heng Liu, Yawen Ou, Ting Zhang & Xuhong Duan

  2. Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, 710055, People’s Republic of China

    Huan Gao, Manli Wu, Heng Liu, Yawen Ou, Ting Zhang & Xuhong Duan

  3. Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, 710055, People’s Republic of China

    Manli Wu

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  1. Huan Gao
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Contributions

Huan Gao: methodology, formal analysis, and writing—original draft preparation. Manli Wu: conceptualization and writing—reviewing and editing. Heng Liu: visualization and investigation. Yawen Ou: visualization and investigation. Ting Zhang: visualization and investigation. Xuhong Duan: visualization and investigation.

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Correspondence to Manli Wu.

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Gao, H., Wu, M., Liu, H. et al. Unraveling the Positive Effect of Soil Moisture on the Bioaugmentation of Petroleum-Contaminated Soil Using Bioinformatics. Microb Ecol 86, 2436–2446 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-023-02245-3

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