Capacity of aromatic compound degradation by bacteria from Amazon dark earth

Abstract

Amazon dark earth (ADE) is known for its high organic matter content, biochar concentration and microbial diversity. The biochar amount suggests the existence of microorganisms capable of degrading aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs). In an effort to investigate the influence of bacteria on the resilience and fertility of these soils, we enriched five ADE soils with naphthalene and phenanthrene, and biodegradation assays with phenanthrene and diesel oil were carried out, as well. After DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene, we identified 148 isolates as the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria phyla comprising genera closely related to AHs biodegradation. We obtained 128 isolates that degrade diesel oil and 115 isolates that degrade phenanthrene. Some isolates were successful in degrading both substrates within 2 h. In conclusion, the obtained isolates from ADE have degrading aromatic compound activity, and perhaps, the biochar content has a high influence on this.