An active PAH-degrading microbial consortium developed from dioxin-contaminated sediments via enrichment technique

Abstract

Dioxin contaminated environments could serve as natural sources of microorganisms with special degradation capabilities. Via enrichment procedures carried out on a dioxin contaminated sediment sample from lotus pond at Danang airport, a microbial community assigned as DN553 with high capability of carbazol degradation was established. Analyses of community structure by using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rDNA fragments indicated that Achromobacter and Alcaligenes species dominated in this enrichment culture. In addition to carbazol, the enrichment culture was also able to utilize other PAH compounds such as naphthalene and phenanthrene as the only carbon and energy sources. In the presence of different PAH as growth substrates, the community structure changed accordingly, however the Achromobacter and Acaligenes groups still remained. Thus, the enrichment cultures DN553 could be a potential microbial source for the treatments of PAH contamination.