<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The marine environment in Kuwait is polluted with various hazardous chemicals of industrial origin. These include petroleum hydrocarbons, halogenated compounds and heavy metals. Bioremediation with dedicated microorganisms can be effectively applied for reclamation of the polluted marine sediments. However, information on the autochthonous microbes and their ecophysiology is largely lacking. We analyzed sediments from Shuwaikh harbor to detect polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs). Then we adopted both culture-dependent and culture-independent (PCR-DGGE) approaches to identify bacterial inhabitants of the polluted marine sediments from Shuwaikh harbor. The chemical analysis revealed spatial variation among the sampling stations in terms of total amount of PCBs, TPHs and the PCB congener fingerprints. Moreover, in all analyzed sediments, the medium-chlorine PCB congeners were more abundant than the low-chlorine and high-chlorine counterparts. PCR-DGGE showed the presence of members of the Proteobacteria, Spirochaetes, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in the analyzed sediments. However, Chloroflexi-related bacteria dominated the detected bacterial community. We also enriched a biphenyl-utilizing mixed culture using the W2 station sediment as an inoculum in chemically defined medium using biphenyl as a sole carbon and energy source. The enriched mixed culture consisted mainly of the Firmicute <italic>Paenibacillus</italic> spp. Sequences of genes encoding putative aromatic ring-hydroxylating dioxygenases were detected in sediments from most sampling stations and the enriched mixed culture. The results suggest the potential of bioremediation as a means for natural attenuation of Shuwaikh harbor sediments polluted with PCBs and TPHs.</p></abstract>

The marine environment in Kuwait is polluted with various hazardous chemicals of industrial origin. These include petroleum hydrocarbons, halogenated compounds and heavy metals. Bioremediation with dedicated microorganisms can be effectively applied for reclamation of the polluted marine sediments. However, information on the autochthonous microbes and their ecophysiology is largely lacking. We analyzed sediments from Shuwaikh harbor to detect polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs). Then we adopted both culture-dependent and culture-independent (PCR-DGGE) approaches to identify bacterial inhabitants of the polluted marine sediments from Shuwaikh harbor. The chemical analysis revealed spatial variation among the sampling stations in terms of total amount of PCBs, TPHs and the PCB congener fingerprints. Moreover, in all analyzed sediments, the medium-chlorine PCB congeners were more abundant than the low-chlorine and high-chlorine counterparts. PCR-DGGE showed the presence of members of the Proteobacteria, Spirochaetes, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in the analyzed sediments. However, Chloroflexi-related bacteria dominated the detected bacterial community. We also enriched a biphenyl-utilizing mixed culture using the W2 station sediment as an inoculum in chemically defined medium using biphenyl as a sole carbon and energy source. The enriched mixed culture consisted mainly of the Firmicute Paenibacillus spp. Sequences of genes encoding putative aromatic ring-hydroxylating dioxygenases were detected in sediments from most sampling stations and the enriched mixed culture. The results suggest the potential of bioremediation as a means for natural attenuation of Shuwaikh harbor sediments polluted with PCBs and TPHs.

Natural Attenuation Potential of Polychlorinated Biphenyl-Polluted Marine Sediments

Polish Journal of Microbiology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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The marine environment in Kuwait is polluted with various hazardous chemicals of industrial origin. These include petroleum hydrocarbons, halogenated compounds...

Natural Attenuation Potential of Polychlorinated Biphenyl-Polluted Marine Sediments

Article Category: original-paper

Published Online: Feb 21, 2022

Page range: 37 - 48

Received: May 03, 2017

Accepted: Aug 25, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0011.6140

Keywords
aromatic ring oxygenases, bacterial communities, bioremediation, Chloroflexi, DGGE, polluted marine sediments

© 2021 Sarah Aldhafiri et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Natural Attenuation Potential of Polychlorinated Biphenyl-Polluted Marine Sediments

Article Category: original-paper

Published Online: Feb 21, 2022

Page range: 37 - 48

Received: May 03, 2017

Accepted: Aug 25, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0011.6140

Keywordsaromatic ring oxygenases, bacterial communities, bioremediation, Chloroflexi, DGGE, polluted marine sediments

© 2021 Sarah Aldhafiri et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
aromatic ring oxygenases, bacterial communities, bioremediation, Chloroflexi, DGGE, polluted marine sediments