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Effect of oxic/anoxic switches on bacterial communities and PAH biodegradation in an oil-contaminated sludge

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Abstract

Purpose

We studied the effect of alternations of aeration on both the autochthonous bacterial communities from an oily sludge to the endogenous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) biodegradation compared to a permanent oxic condition.

Methods

Genomic and transcriptional analyses associated with chemical measurements were used to assess the dynamics of bacteria coupled to PAH removal during an incubation of 26 days.

Results and conclusions

The autochthonous bacterial communities of an oil sludge showed a strong potential to adapt and degrade PAH when they were subjected to alternating anoxic/oxic conditions, as well as under an oxic condition. In addition, changes in the bacterial communities were related to the different phases of hydrocarbon degradation, and the removal efficiency of PAH was similar in both switching and permanent oxic conditions. This methodology could be useful for an alternative solution of oil sludge treatment with a low-cost processing, as its efficiency is similar to that of a permanent oxic incubation which is more expensive in oxygen supply.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by an EC2CO (Diverdhy project) grant from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and from the Institut des Sciences de l′Univers (INSU), and a grant from the ANR (Dhyva project). IV was supported by a doctoral grant from the Communauté d′Agglomération de Pau Pyrénées. We thank Jonathan Lebastard for technical assistance and the Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l′Environnement (INRA, Narbonne) for providing the reactor equipment. We are grateful to Dr. Anne Fahy for careful editing of the English language.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Equipe Environnement et Microbiologie, IPREM UMR/CNRS 5254, Université de Pau, 64013, Pau Cedex, France

    Isabelle Vitte, Robert Duran, Pierre Caumette & Cristiana Cravo-Laureau

  2. Cedre Centre de Documentation, de Recherche et d’Expérimentations sur les pollutions accidentelles des eaux, 715 rue Alain Colas, CS 41836, 29818, Brest Cedex 2, France

    Ronan Jézéquel

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  1. Isabelle Vitte
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  2. Robert Duran
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  3. Ronan Jézéquel
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  5. Cristiana Cravo-Laureau
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Correspondence to Cristiana Cravo-Laureau.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Vitte, I., Duran, R., Jézéquel, R. et al. Effect of oxic/anoxic switches on bacterial communities and PAH biodegradation in an oil-contaminated sludge. Environ Sci Pollut Res 18, 1022–1032 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-010-0435-7

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