Formation of Rhizospheric Microbial Consortia Under Combined Phytoremediation and Bacterial Introduction in Oil-Polluted Environments

Abstract

The integration of oil-degrading microorganisms with phytoremediation has the potential to generate a synergistic effect in the removal of petroleum pollutants. This study analyzed the influence of two aquatic plant species (Eichhornia crassipes and Pistia stratiotes) and hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacterial strains (Rhodococcus erythropolis and Pseudomonas brenneri), as well as a microbial preparation, on the formation of bacterial consortia under oil-polluted conditions. The study assessed the losses of petroleum alkanes, the rheological properties of water, and the structure of emerging rhizospheric microbial communities by high-throughput sequencing. E. crassipes demonstrated a higher potential for stimulating the development of an oil-oxidizing microbial community. However, the introduced bacterial strains did not establish themselves within the formed microbial community, indicating the complexity of selecting compatible plant–microbe combinations for efficient bioremediation. Nevertheless, this approach remains a promising direction for enhancing the efficiency of hydrocarbon degradation in aquatic ecosystems.