Santos, Camila Rozene de Almeida; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1510-748X; http://lattes.cnpq.br/3329314635222694
Abstract:
Hydrocarbon contamination in mangroves is a concerning environmental
issue. Bioremediation is a promising alternative for remediating contaminated
areas, as it utilizes microorganisms capable of metabolizing contaminants. In this
study, we evaluated the efficacy of bioaugmentation and biostimulation using
Aspergillus spp. fungi and alocasia macrorrhizos (l.) g.don plant extract in the
bioremediation of mangrove sediments contaminated with hydrocarbons. We
analyzed the influence of phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations in sediment
and water on microbial activity. To do this, we set up bioreactors under various
tide simulation conditions and monitored phosphorus, nitrogen and TOC
concentrations in sediment and water over time. Results showed that the addition
of plant extract as a biostimulant and fungi as a bioaugmenting agent significantly
increased hydrocarbon degradation rates compared to the control. Additionally,
we observed that higher concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen in sediment
and water accelerated the bioremediation process. We conclude that the use of
plant extract and fungi is a promising strategy for the bioremediation of
hydrocarbon-contaminated mangroves and that nutrient concentrations in
sediment and water significantly influence microbial activity during the
bioremediation process.