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Research article2009Peer reviewed

Ethanol, BTEX and microbial community interactions in E-blend contaminated soil slurry

Lawrence, Akvile; Jonsson, Susanne; Börjesson, Gunnar

Abstract

Degradation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-, p- and o-xylenes (BTEX) and microbial community shifts in soil slurries contaminated with ethanol-gasoline blends (E-blends), containing 10, 50 or 90% (v/v) ethanol (E10, E50 and E90) were studied in soil slurries previously uncontaminated, contaminated by E-blends or ethanol. BTEX originating from E50 degraded fastest whereas from E10 slowest. Among the individual compounds, ethylbenzene degraded fastest (max 30% d(-1)), and o-xylene slowest (min 1% d(-1)) during aerobic conditions in previously not contaminated soils. Previous contamination by E-blends increased BTEX degradation significantly (3-19 times) compared with previously uncontaminated soils, whereas previous contamination with ethanol did not show significant difference in BTEX degradation. At least one type of the E-blends during aerobic conditions had a positive effect on total PLFAs (phospholipid fatty acids) and specific PLFAs, i.e. 10Me18:0, 16:1w6 and cy17:0, but had a negative effect on cy19:0 and 18:2w6,9c. The effects on total PLFAs, as well as the individual PLFAs, were particularly strong after repeated contamination. The single most affected PLFA was 16:1w6, which increased 23 times during E10 treatment in soil slurries previously contaminated by E-blends. Altogether, the various E-blends had significantly different effects on BTEX degradation and also on individual PLFAs under aerobic conditions. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Biodegradation; BTEX; Ethanol-gasoline blends; Peaty soil; Phospholipid fatty acid analysis

Published in

International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation
2009, volume: 63, number: 6, pages: 654-666
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCI LTD

SLU Authors

UKÄ Subject classification

Microbiology
Environmental Sciences

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2009.01.005

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/61280