Journal of Japan Society of Civil Engineers Ser G (Environmental Research)

Diestra E., Solé A., Esteve I.

de Oteyza T.G., Lopez J.F., Grimalt J.O.

Sánchez O., Ferrera I., de Oteyza T.G., Grimalt J., Mas J.

Cuny P., Acquaviva M., Gilewicz M.

Kinetics of phenanthrene degradation, emulsification and surface tension activities of this hydrocarbon upon degradation by a Pseudomonas putida (COB 3-2) isolated from a coastal microbial mat were investigated. After 27 days of incubation at 20°C, 71.4±3.4 % of the initial phenanthrene amount (0.4 g l-1) were biodegraded. Observation of both tension-active and emulsifying activities indicated that biosurfactants, probably rhamnolipids, are generated. The high phenanthrene degrading capacity and biosurfactant production potential of this newly isolated P. putida strain may contribute positively to oil bioremediation processes within the microbial mat.

Navarrete A., Urmeneta J., Cantu J.M., Vegas E., White D.C., Guerrero R.

Bonin P., Cravo-Laureau C., Michotey V., Hirschler-Réa A.

Hydrocarbons are widespread in our environment. The number of bacteria known to oxidize hydrocarbons in the absence of oxygen has considerably increased during the last ten years. Anaerobic bacteria have been shown capable of utilizing hydrocarbons not only in consortia but also in pure cultures. The results obtained in the framework of MATBIOPOL project on anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation by denitrifying bacteria and by enrichment cultures maintained under methanogenic conditions are exposed together with the present knowledge on hydrocarbon biodegradation.

Musat F., Wieland A., Widdel F.

Benthien M., Wieland A., de Oteyza T.G., Grimalt J.O., Kühl M.

van Bleijswijk J., Muyzer G.

Villanueva L., Navarrete A., Urmeneta J., White D.C., Guerrero R.

Goréguès C., Michotey V., Bonin P.

Facultative anaerobic bacteria were isolated from the chronically polluted sediment from the Berre Lagoon after amendment with nitrate and octadecane or pristane. Seventy-one isolates were tested for their potential to utilize nitrate under anaerobic conditions and to degrade aerobically hydrocarbons using a new agar plate test. The electrophoretic mobility of each amplified 16S rDNA fragment was performed by DGGE and each isolate was affiliated to a phylotype. Most of the isolates were denitrifiers or at least nitrate reducers and some heterogeneity of nitrate utilization among a 16S rDNA phylotype was observed. The addition of hydrocarbons resulted in a drastic change in the structure of the isolated strains. Most hydrocarbon potential degraders were restricted to few 16S rDNA phylotypes that remained or appeared between the two steps of the isolation procedure.

Ranchou-Peyruse A., Moppert X., Hourcade E., Hernandez G., Caumette P., Guyoneaud R.

de Oteyza T.G., Grimalt J.O.

McGowan L., Herbert R., Muyzer G.