A new screened microbial consortium OEM2 for lignocellulosic biomass deconstruction and chlorophenols detoxification

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials Vol. 347; pp. 341 - 348
• Main Authors: Liang, Jiajin, Fang, Xiuxiu, Lin, Yunqin, Wang, Dehan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 05.04.2018
• Subjects: Chlorophenols; Detoxification; Lignocellulose; Microbial consortium; Pretreatment; Microbial consortium; Chlorophenols; Pretreatment; Lignocellulose; Detoxification
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.01.023

[Display omitted] •A screened OEM2 for lignocellulose deconstruction & chlorophenols detoxification.•41.5% rice straw mass loss and over 85% hemicellulose decomposition within 12 days.•74.3% chlorophenols including MCP, 2,4-DCP, and 2,4,6-TCP degraded within 9 days.•Chemical structure of rice straw broken and histological structure destroyed.•OEM2 biological treatment conductive to downstream biorefinery. Recalcitrance limits biomass application in biorefinery. It is even more so when toxic chlorophenols are present. In this study, we screened a microbial consortium, OEM2, for lignocellulose deconstruction and chlorophenols detoxification through a short-term and efficient screening process. Microbial consortium OEM2 had a good buffer capability in the cultivation process and exhibited a high xylanase activity, with over 85% hemicellulose degradation within 12 days. Throughout the treatment process, 41.5% rice straw decomposition on day 12 and around 75% chlorophenols (MCP, 2,4-DCP, 2,4,6-TCP) removal on day 9, were recorded. Moreover, Fourier translation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated that chemical bonds and groups (eg. hydrogen-bond, β-1,4 glycosidic bond, lignin-carbohydrate cross-linking) in the rice straw were broken. Cuticle and silica layer destruction and subsequent exposed cellulose fibers were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Microbial consortium OEM2 diversity analysis by 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that Proteobacteria (41.3%) was the most abundant phylum and the genera Paenibacillus and Pseudomonas played an important role in the lignocellulose decomposition and chlorophenols detoxification. This study developed a faster and more efficient strategy to screen a specific microbial consortium. And the new microbial consortium, OEM2, makes lignocellulose more accessible and complex pollutants unproblematic in the further biorefinery process.