Isolation and genetic identification of PAH degrading bacteria from a microbial consortium

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH; naphthalene, anthracene and phenanthrene) degrading microbial consortium C2PL05 was obtained from a sandy soil chronically exposed to petroleum products, collected from a petrochemical complex in Puertollano (Ciudad Real, Spain). The consortium C2PL05 was highly efficient degrading completely naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene in around 18 days of cultivation. The toxicity (Microtox™ method) generated by the PAH and by the intermediate metabolites was reduced to levels close to non-toxic in almost 40 days of cultivation. The identified bacteria from the contaminated soil belonged to γ-proteobacteria and could be include in Enterobacter and Pseudomonas genus. DGGE analysis revealed uncultured Stenotrophomonas ribotypes as a possible PAH degrader in the microbial consortium. The present work shows the potential use of these microorganisms and the total consortium for the bioremediation of PAH polluted areas since the biodegradation of these chemicals takes place along with a significant decrease in toxicity.