RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Developing a microalgal-bacterial consortium for the removal of organic pollutants from petrochemical industry
A1 León Vaz, Antonio
A1 Torres Franco, Andrés Felipe
A1 García Encina, Pedro Antonio
A1 Muñoz Torre, Raúl
K1 Biodegradation
K1 BTEX
K1 Chlorella vulgaris
K1 Phenol
K1 Rhodococcus opacus
K1 3308 Ingeniería y Tecnología del Medio Ambiente
AB Organic pollutants are one of the most hazardous contaminants due to their toxicity and ubiquity. The presenceof organic compounds, such as phenol or BTEXs (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene), in petrochemicalwastewater causes severe damage in aquatic environments. Different bioremediation technologies have beentested, but with limited efficiencies. This work assessed the biodegradation potential of a consortium composedof the microalga Chlorella vulgaris and the bacterium Rhodococcus opacus at different levels of phenol and BTEXsin batch assays, which could be a first step to solve the limitations of previous technologies, especially at lowconcentrations of pollutants. The results showed that C. vulgaris tolerated and metabolized high concentrations ofthese contaminants: 100 mg L 1 of phenol, 15, 8, 3 and 1 mg L 1 of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o-xylene,respectively. Moreover, the co-cultivation of R. opacus and C. vulgaris enhanced organic pollutant biodegradationwhen using NO3 and NH4+ as nitrogen sources. Finally, cultivation of the consortium under N2/CO2 (70/30 %)atmosphere resulted in a significant enhancement in phenol and BTEX biodegradation. Under optimized con-ditions, the consortium C. vulgaris-R. opacus metabolized 100 % of a mixture of phenol, benzene, toluene, eth-ylbenzene and o-xylene at 25, 3, 3, 3 and 1 mg L 1, respectively, within 6 days of cultivation. These resultshighlight the potential of algal-bacterial consortia to biodegrade organic pollutants from petrochemical in-dustries, which can be a low-cost and sustainable alternative for the biodegradation of petrochemical effluents.
PB Elsevier
SN 2214-7144
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/76000
UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/76000
LA eng
NO Journal of Water Process Engineering, 2025, vol. 73, p.107663
NO Producción Científica
DS UVaDOC
RD 20-jun-2025