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. 2019 Jan;8(1):e00619.
doi: 10.1002/mbo3.619. Epub 2018 Mar 25.

Removal and biodegradation of different petroleum hydrocarbons using the filamentous fungus Aspergillus sp. RFC-1

Adnan B Al-Hawash  1   2 , Xiaoyu Zhang  1 , Fuying Ma  1
Affiliations

Removal and biodegradation of different petroleum hydrocarbons using the filamentous fungus Aspergillus sp. RFC-1

Adnan B Al-Hawash et al. Microbiologyopen. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Petroleum pollution inevitably occurs at any stage of oil production and exerts a negative impact on the environment. Some microorganisms can degrade petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs). Polluted sludge of Rumaila oil field was use to isolate the highly efficient hydrocarbon-degrading fungal strain. Aspergillus sp. RFC-1 was obtained and its degradation ability for petroleum hydrocarbons was evaluated through surface adsorption, cell uptake, hydrophobicity, surface tension, biosurfactant production, and emulsification activity. In addition, the degradation mechanism was investigated. The results indicated the strain RFC-1 showed high removal activity for PHs, including biodegradation, adsorption, and emulsifiability. On the day 7 of incubation, the removal efficiencies of crude oil, naphthalene (NAP), phenanthrene (PHE), and pyrene (PYR) reached 60.3%, 97.4%, 84.9%, and 90.7%, respectively. Biodegradation efficiencies of crude oil, NAP, PHE, and PYR were 51.8%, 84.6%, 50.3%, and 55.1%, respectively. Surface adsorption and cell absorption by live mycelial pellets followed a decreasing order: PYR ≥ PHE > NAP > crude oil. Adsorption by heat-killed mycelial pellets increased within 40 and 10 min for crude oil and PAHs, respectively, and remained constant thereafter. Effects of cell surface hydrophobicity, surface tension, and emulsification index were discussed. Intra- and extracellular enzymes of strain RFC-1 played important roles in PHs degradation. The strain RFC-1 is a prospective strain for removing PHs from aqueous environments.

Keywords: Aspergillus; bioaccumulation; biodegradation; degradation kinetics; petroleum hydrocarbons; removal.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Surface adsorption of PHs by live mycelia pellets
Figure 2
Figure 2
Adsorption of PHs by heat‐killed mycelial pellets
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effect of pH (a) and temperature (b) on surface adsorption of PHs by live mycelial pellets incubated for 30 min
Figure 4
Figure 4
Cell absorption of PHs by live mycelia pellets
Figure 5
Figure 5
Hydrophobicity of mycelial pellet (a), and surface tension in biodegradation medium (b)
Figure 6
Figure 6
Percentage of crude oil, NAP, PHE, and PYR remained in medium (a); accumulated in the cells (b); removed (c) and biodegraded (d) by the strain RFC‐1 cultivated in degradation media for 1, 5, and 7 days, at pH 7.0, 30°C, and 120 r/min. The initial concentration of crude oil, NAP, PHE, and PYR was 250, 50, 20, and 20 mg/L, respectively
Figure 7
Figure 7
Degradation process of NAP by intracellular and extracellular (a), Degradation process of PHE by intracellular and extracellular (b), Degradation process of PYR by intracellular and extracellular (c) Degradation process of crude oil by intracellular and extracellular enzymes (d), The temperature was 30°C, and the initial concentration of crude oil, NAP, PHE and PYR was 20 mg/L, shaking at 120 r/min, respectively
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