Surfactant-enhanced bioremediation

This study was undertaken to examine the effect of three structurally related, non-ionic surfactants, Triton X-45, Triton X-100 and Triton X-165, as well as the oleophilic fertilizer, Inipol EAP 22, on the rate of biodegradation of phenanthrene by pure bacterial cultures. Each surfactant dramatically increased the apparent aqueous solubility of phenanthrene. Model studies were conducted to investigate the ability of these surfactants to enhance the rate of transport and uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons into bacterial cells, and to assess the impact that increasing the aqueous solubility of hydrocarbons has on their rate of biodegradation. Our results indicate that increasing the apparent aqueous solubility of hydrocarbons can lead to enhanced biodegradation rates by two Pseudomonas saccharophila strains. However, our experiments also suggest that some surfactants can inhibit aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation by certain bacteria. Our data also support the hypothesis that surface-active components present in the oleophilic fertilizer formulation, Inipol EAP 22, may have significantly contributed to the positive results reported in tests of remedial agent impact on bioremediation, which was used as a supplemental clean-up technology on Exxon Valdez crude oil-contaminated Alaskan beaches.