0000000001081881
AUTHOR
S. Cappello
The bioremediation potential of the Priolo Harbour (SR, Italy): isolation, identification and catabolic ability of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria
The petrochemical site of Priolo-Augusta-Melilli (Sicily, Italy), is a Site of National Interest (SIN) due to high levels of contamination of the coastline and its remediation is urgently needed. Successful remediation strategies relying on the catabolic potential of marine hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria (HCB) have been described. HCB are specialised hydrocarbon (HC)-degrading marine bacteria that use HC almost exclusively as unique carbon and energy source and become dominant in oil-impacted environments. In order to identify the key hydrocarbon degraders and explore the natural bioremediation potential of the contaminated area, sediment cores and sea water were collected inside the Priolo H…
MAP OF 3D DISTRIBUTION OF HYDROCARBONOCLASTIC BACTERIA IN MEDITERRANEAN SEA
The obligate hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria (OHCB) have been recognized and shown to play a significant role in the biological removal of hydrocarbons from polluted marine waters. The introduction of oil or hydrocarbons into seawater leads to successive blooms of a relatively limited number of indigenous marine bacterial genera (Alcanivorax, Marinobacter, Thallassolituus, Cycloclasticus and Oleispira) which are present at low or undetectable levels before the polluting event. The types of OHCB that bloom depend directly from level and type of pollution and from parameters as the latitude/temperature, salinity, redox etc.... In this work, using data present in GeneBank we have create a virtual…
The microbial community of sub-surface sediment of a chronically contaminated SIC
Hydrocarbons (HC), especially high molecular weight HC, are trapped in the sediments for a long time, making the benthic system a permanent pollution source, with several effects on the biota. Sediment bacterial communities play a significant role in the degradation of contaminants, both under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In this work we focused on the bacterial communities of sediments (5-10 cm below surface), of a Site of Community Importance, the Priolo Bay, in Central Mediterranean Sea. The bay is situated in proximity to the Augusta Harbour, affected for decades by pollution from industrial and petrochemical plants. The microbial communities of sediments from six stations on two t…
A new scaffold-bacteria-based system for bioremediation of oil contaminated water
Bioremediation is a promising non-invasive and cost-effective technology that uses (micro)organisms to degrade or remove hazardous environmental pollutants. New methods are needed to enhance and optimize natural biodegradation, such as the use of carrier materials that could improve survival and catalytic activity of the biodegraders. In this study, we developed a bioremediation system based on a new 3D polycaprolactone-based scaffold and hydrocarbon(HC)-degrading bacteria to clean (sea)water contaminated by crude oil and its derivatives. Scaffold biopolymers are biodegradable, produced in the melt, i.e. at low cost and without the use of toxic solvents. They can be available in large quant…
Biodegradation of Crude Oil by Individual Strains and a Mixed Bacterial Consortium in Simulation of Marine Environment
Petroleum hydrocarbons are the most widespread contaminants in the marine environment. The fate of petroleum in sea water is largely controlled by mechanical, physical and chemical factors which influencing the natural transformation of petroleum (oil weathering) and oil bio-degradation. On the basis of these considerations, bioremediation techniques have been developed and improved for cleaning up oil-polluted marine environment as alternative to chemical and physical techniques. To elucidate the cooperative action of mixed microbial populations in the biodegradation of crude oil, we constructed artificial consortia composed of two to three bacteria (Alcanivorax borkumensis strain SK2, Rho…
Hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria from a polluted harbour in Sicily (Italy): isolation, identification and characterization of their biotechnological potential.
Metabolic specialization is a general biological principle that shapes the assembly of microbial communities. Hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria (HCB) are marine bacteria that are specialised in hydrocarbon degradation and use hydrocarbons almost exclusively as unique C and energy source. HCB become dominant in oil-‐impacted environments and are particularly adapted for removal of hydrocarbons from contaminated sites through bioremediation treatments. The petrochemical site of Priolo-‐Augusta-‐Melilli (Sicily, Italy), is a Site of National Interest (SIN) due to high levels of environmental contamination of the coastline and a specific "national program of environmental remediation and restorat…