Using Microbial Biofilms to Enhance the Phytoremediation of Contaminants in Soil and Water. Part A: A Trial for Sustainable Phenol Degradation by Duckweed-colonizing Biofilms
Masaaki Morikawa, Fumiko Yamaga, Kazuya Suzuki, Koki Kurashina, Kyoko Miwa and Kenji Washio
from: Biofilms in Bioremediation: Current Research and Emerging Technologies (Edited by: Gavin Lear). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2016) Pages: 233-240.
Abstract
Here, we demonstrate how conventional passive phytoremediation technologies can be transformed into active bioremediation technologies using growth-promoting, plant associated bacteria. Phenol-degrading bacteria were isolated from the surface of duckweed, Lemna aoukikusa, using an enrichment culture method. One of the isolates, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus P23, exhibited an excellent ability to degrade phenol and formed robust biofilms under laboratory conditions. P23 rapidly colonized the surface of sterilized duckweed and enhanced its growth. A long-term test using P23 colonised L. aoukikusa showed that the continuous removal of phenol could be attributed to a beneficial symbiotic interaction between duckweed and its surface bacterium. The rational reconstruction of multispecies microbial communities, including taxa with pollutant degrading and plant growth promoting activities, holds much promise for the development of innovative phytoremediation technologies read more ...
