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Abstract

The Kalina pond has been well known as a severely degraded area in the Silesia region, Poland. The environmental deterioration results from high contamination of water and bottom sediments with recalcitrant and toxic organic compounds, mainly phenol. The study was aimed at developing a bioremediation-based approach suitable for this type of polluted areas, involving microbiological treatment of water as a key and integral part of other necessary actions: mechanical interventions and the use of physical methods. During the initial biological treatment stage, autochthonous microorganisms were isolated from contaminated samples of water, soil and sediment, then subjected to strong selective pressure by incubation with the pollutants, and finally, cultivated to form a specialised microbial consortium consisting of five extremophilic bacterial strains. Consortium propagation and its biodegradation activity were optimised under variant conditions enabling bacteria to proliferate and to obtain high biomass density at large volumes allowing for the in situ application. After installing aeration systems in the pond, the consortium was surface-sprinkled to launch bioremediation and then both bacterial frequency and the contaminant level was systematically monitored. The complex remediation strategy proved efficient and was implemented on an industrial scale enabling successful remedial of the affected site. Treatment with the specifically targeted and adapted microbial consortium allowed for removal of most organic pollutants within a four-month season of 2022: the chemical oxygen demand (COD) value decreased by 72%, polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) level by 97%, while the content of total phenols and other monoaromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX) dropped below the detection thresholds.
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Authors and Affiliations

Katarzyna Starzec
1
ORCID: ORCID
Emilia Stańkowska
2
Paulina Supel
1
ORCID: ORCID
Robert Mazur
3
ORCID: ORCID
Piotr Surma
2
Paweł Kaszycki
1
ORCID: ORCID

  1. University of Agriculture in Kraków, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
  2. Remea Sp. z o. o., ul. Bonifraterska 17, 00-203 Warszawa, Poland
  3. AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Mining Geodesy and Environmental Engineering, Department of Environmental Protection and Landscaping, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland

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