Genetic characterization of petroleum-degrading microorganisms in contaminated fractured bedrock systems undergoing phytoremediation

据估计，加拿大有30,000个棕地，因此，棕地重建被确定为振兴市中心地区和阻止绿地开发的一个重要因素。然而，由于场地的具体特点或靠近居民区和其他交通繁忙的地区，传统的补救技术可能不可行。因此，新的修复方法可能是适当的，例如植物修复，或通过涉及植物及其相关微生物群落的组合的生物过程降解有机污染物。BP加拿大能源集团ULC(BP Canada)在历史上的制造工厂(“现场”)保留环境责任。大约5年前，作为对地下水中甲苯浓度升高的补救策略，该地点种植了杂交杨树(Pillius X Candensis)。BP加拿大公司致力于通过详细描述导致甲苯降解或衰减的过程，并尽可能利用与土壤、基岩、地下水和植物本身相关的本地甲苯降解微生物来加强这些过程，从而优化现有植物修复系统的有效性。开发替代就地生物修复技术的一个必要的第一步是确定污染对现有微生物群落的影响，并评估这些群落是否有能力降解甲苯。邓菲尔德实验室将使用分子技术来评估污染物对基岩、土壤和地下水样本中微生物群落和甲苯降解微生物的存在/丰度的影响。他们将针对与甲苯降解有关的群体，包括好氧(甲苯双加氧酶)和厌氧(苄基琥珀酸合成酶)细菌降解甲苯的途径。增加我们对微生物群落动态的了解，对于目前正在进行的改善现场就地修复策略的努力可能是非常宝贵的。这些知识最终将有助于制定补救其他棕地系统的战略。

There are an estimated 30,000 brownfield sites across Canada and brownfield redevelopment has thus been identified as an important factor in revitalizing inner city areas and preventing development of greenfield lands. However, conventional remediation technologies may not be feasible due to site-specific characteristics or proximity to residential and other high-traffic areas. As such, new remediation methods, such as phytoremediation, or the degradation of organic contaminants via biological processes involving a combination of a plant and its associated microbial community, may be appropriate. BP Canada Energy Group ULC (BP Canada) retains environmental liability at a historical manufacturing facility ("the Site"). The Site was planted with hybrid poplar (Populus x Canadensis) approximately 5 years ago as a remedial strategy for elevated concentrations of toluene in groundwater. BP Canada is committed to optimizing the effectiveness of the existing phytoremediation system through detailed characterization of the processes contributing to toluene degradation or attenuation and augmenting those processes where possible using native toluene-degrading microorganisms associated with soil, bedrock, groundwater and the plants themselves. A necessary first step to developing alternative in situ bioremediation techniques is to determine the effects of contamination on existing microbial communities, and assess whether these communities are capable of degrading toluene. The Dunfield lab will use molecular techniques to assess contaminant effects on microbial communities and presence/abundance of toluene-degrading microbes in bedrock, soil and groundwater samples. They will target groups associated with toluene degradation including both aerobic (toluene dioxygenase) and anaerobic (benzylsuccinate synthase) bacterial toluene-degradation pathways. Increasing our understanding of microbial community dynamics may be invaluable to current efforts that are underway to improve in situ remediation strategies on the Site. This knowledge will ultimately contribute to the development of strategies to remediate other brownfield systems.