Degradation of benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene and coronene by Burkholderia cepacia

• Published in: Water science and technology Vol. 36; no. 10; pp. 45 - 51
• Main Authors: Juhasz, Albert L., Britz, Margaret L., Stanley, Grant A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 1997
• Subjects: Benzo[a]pyrene; bioremediation; Burkholderia cepacia; coronene; dibenz[a,h]anthracene; polycycic aromatic hydrocarbon; dibenz[a,h]anthracene; polycycic aromatic hydrocarbon; bioremediation; Benzo[a]pyrene; Burkholderia cepacia; coronene
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.1016/S0273-1223(97)00641-0

A Burkholderia cepacia strain (VUN 10,001) isolated from manufacturing gas plant soil was selected for its ability to grow on and degrade pyrene as a sole source of carbon and energy. VUN 10,001 was able to grow on fluorene, phenanthrene benz[a]anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene, but not benzo[a]pyrene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene when tested using inocula with low cell numbers. However, a small decrease in the concentrations of these latter compounds was observed. When media were inoculated at a high cell density, VUN 10,001 degraded the high molecular weight PAHs benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene and coronene when these were present as individual substrates or as components of a complex mixture. Degradation of the high molecular weight PAHs was found to increase in the presence of the lower molecular weight compounds.