Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 7
Interaction Between Plants and Biosurfactant
Producing Microorganisms in Petroleum
Contaminated Absheron Soils
Elmira Akhundova and Yamen Atakishiyeva
Abstract
The chapter focuses on the roles that plants, hydrocarbon degrading
microorganisms and biosurfactants produced by them play in petroleum contami-
nated soils. Consortia of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria including
Rhodobacter
fascians
AZCC 1501,
Alcaligenes feacalis
AZCC 1164,
A. feacalis
AZCC 1165,
A.
eutrophus
AZCC 1171,
Bacillus subtilis
AZCC 1288 and
B. subtilis
AZCC 1289
were used as high producers of biosurfactants. Enhanced degradation of added
Absheron oil occurred in the rhizosphere of alfalfa,
Artemisia fragrans
and peren-
nial ryegrass, and a significant decrease in oil concentration was detected in the
presence of microbial consortia and liquid biosurfactant. It was noted that biosur-
factant facilitated
Artemisia rhizodegradation
had a higher degradative potential
than that of alfalfa and ryegrass plants.
Keywords
Phytoremediation
·
Biosurfactant
·
Petroleum contamination
·
Hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms
1 Introduction
Contamination of the soil environment with hazardous wastes has brought about
new applications and technologies to address this growing concern. Many of these
contaminants being organic compounds, and petroleum hydrocarbons, as probably
one of the most widespread classes of this type, are of great concern because of the
risk of exposure and toxicity to humans and ecosystem. In addition, petroleum hy-
drocarbons can move from the source of contamination to soil, air and water. They
can also pose a fire hazards as well as interfere with normal soil processes because
of their effect on nutrient cycling and water relations (CCME
2000
).
