A revisit on the enhancing effect of Tween-80 on the bioremediation of PAH-contaminated soil with a surfactant-compatible strain

Abstract

Surfactants are frequently used to enhance the bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) contaminated soil; however, their complex role in the process of bioremediation has not been fully elucidated. In this study, a PAH-degrading strain, Pseudomonas aeruginosa DH-6, with excellent tolerance to Tween-80 was isolated, and the effect of Tween-80 on the bioremediation of PAHs was re-evaluated using this strain. It was found that Tween-80 not only promoted the solubility of PAHs, but also served as a preferred carbon source, leading to a massive proliferation of DH-6. Moreover, the study demonstrated that an optimal concentration window of Tween-80 maximized PAH biosorption by strain cells. As a result, with the multiple enhancing effects of Tween-80, the dissolved PAHs could be efficiently removed by the combined biosorption–biodegradation process. Whole-genome sequencing and intermediate metabolite analysis revealed that multiple functional genes accounted for the degradation capability of DH-6 for PAHs via salicylic acid and/or phthalic acid pathways. A slurry bioreactor supplemented with spiked Tween-80 achieved 88.1% PAHs removal for the contaminated field soil, significantly reducing remedial time compared with other traditional bioremediation methods. This study highlights the importance of selecting suitable Tween-80 concentration to enhance the remediation of hydrophobic organics in heterogeneous reaction systems such as soil slurry.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

PAHs / Tween-80 / Biosorption / Bioremediation / Contaminated soil

Highlight

	● Effect of Tween-80 on bioremediation was revisited with isolated strain DH-6.
	● Multiple enhancing effects of Tween-80 for the PAHs bioremedation are revealed.
	● HMW-PAHs can be efficiently removed by biosorption-biodegradation process.
	● 88.1% PAHs were removed from field soil in a Tween-80-enhanced slurry bioreactor.

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