Plant-microorganism interactions in the bioremediation of soils polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons

Abstract

Petroleum hydrocarbons are the most significant sources of environmental pollution on a global scale. Petroleum products hamper the growth of plants and affect soil microflora. This has led to a search for methods to eliminate such pollutants; Phytoremediation describes the treatment of environmental pollutants through the use of plants and microorganisms that mitigate the environmental problem. This study aim to test the interaction between plants and microorganisms for the treatment of polluted soil with diesel and gasoline, as well as their performance and efficiency. Sunflower seeds (Helianthus annus) and five bacterial strains (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus gallinarum, Aneurinibacillus migulanus, Streptomyces cinereoruber, and Lysinibacillus cavernae) previously isolated from petroleum contaminated soils, as well as a consortium, were tested for their ability to degrade diesel oil and gasoline (10%) in contaminated soil (individually and with plant), through the monitoring of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) degradation rates during 21 days