Biodegradation characteristics and bioaugmentation potential of a novel quinoline-degrading strain of Bacillus sp. isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil

Quinoline and its derivatives are widely considered to be environmental pollutants. In this study, the biodegradation characteristics and bioaugmentation potential for a novel strain were described. The strain, named Q2, which could utilize quinoline as the sole carbon, nitrogen and energy source, was isolated and identified as a Bacillus sp. The optimum temperature, initial pH and shaker rotary speed for quinoline degradation were 30 °C, pH 8–10 and 100–200 rpm, respectively. During the biodegradation process, the quinoline-N was released as ammonium and the culture broth became yellow, pink and brown in turn, which indicated that several intermediates were generated. GC/MS analysis showed that 2(1H)-quinolinone and 8-hydroxycoumarin were produced. Furthermore, the bioaugmentation of Q2 into the sludge consortium, which was taken from refinery wastewater treatment plant, to degrade quinoline was investigated. The results showed that it could coexist with the other microbes and the remarkably enhanced quinoline biodegradation ability was achieved.