Surfactant biocatalyst for remediation of recalcitrant organics and heavy metals
View Patent ↗Novel strains of isolated and purified bacteria have been identified which have the ability to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons including a variety of PAHs. Several isolates also exhibit the ability to produce a biosurfactant. The combination of the biosurfactant-producing ability along with the ability to degrade PAHs enhances the efficiency with which PAHs may be degraded. Additionally, the biosurfactant also provides an additional ability to bind heavy metal ions for removal from a soil or aquatic environment.
1. A process of bioremediation of petroleum pollutants from a soil environment comprising the steps of:
providing a supply of a contaminated soil having a petroleum pollutant;
introducing into said supply of contaminated soil at least one biologically pure bacterial strain selected from the group consisting of ATCC accession numbers Flexibacter cf. sancti srs, PTA-5570; Pseudomonas fredriksbergensis srs; PTA-5571; Staphylococcus warneri LMG 19417 srs, PTA-5572; Sphingomonas srs, PTA-5573; Sphingomonas sp. s37 srs, PTA-5574; Phylobacterium srs, PTA-5575; Serratia ficaria srs, PTA-5576; Agrobacterium tumefaciens srs, PTA-5577; Rhizobium sp. sdw045 srs, PTA-5578; Ralstonia pickettii srs, PTA-5579; Alcaligenes piechaudii srs, PTA-5580; and Pseudomonas putida biotype b srs, PTA-5581, and
providing adequate nutrients into said supply of contaminated soil for a treatment time sufficient for the at least one biologically pure bacterial strain to metabolize and degrade the petroleum pollutant.
2. The process according to claim 1 wherein a concentration of the petroleum pollutant within the treated soil is less than about 100 ppm total petroleum hydrocarbons after treatment with the at least one biologically pure bacterial strain.
3. The process according to claim 1 wherein said supply of a contaminated soil further contains a low-level radioactive waste.
4. The process according to claim 1 wherein said at least one biologically pure bacterial strain is selected from the group consisting of ATCC accession numbers Ralstonia pickettii srs, PTA-5579; Alcaligenes piechaudii srs, PTA-5580; and Pseudomonas putida biotype b srs PTA-5581, said at least one biologically pure bacterial strain producing a biosurfactant in the treated soil.
5. The process according to claim 1 wherein said petroleum pollutant includes polyaromatic hydrocarbons.
6. The process according to claim 5 wherein said polyaromatic hydrocarbons are selected from the group consisting of 2-ringed, 3-ringed, and 4-ringed polyaromatic hydrocarbons and combinations thereof.
7. The process according to claim 4 comprising an additional step of periodically removing the biosurfactants from the treated soil.