16s Ribosomal RNA sequences of halotolerant bacterial consortia enriched from petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil for hybrid model bioremediation

The bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contaminated soils and groundwater in arctic regions is challenging due to the cold climate and higher soil salinity. The higher salinity reduces the solubility of hydrocarbons from the Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (NAPL) to the aqueous liquid phase making it less accessible by the hydrocarbon-degrading indigenous soil microbial community. So for the fast, remediation process in saline soil, the microbial communities that are capable to live and survive in the presence of a wide range of salt concentrations could be considered. In this project, we consider the application of desalination minerals along with halotolerant bacteria to remediate contaminated soil and water. The minerals adsorb the anion and cation from the contaminated subject allowing the degradation of contaminant mediated by the sequenced microbial consortia. Such that the overall goal of the project is to design and develop a novel hybrid remediation system for PHC contaminated soil and water.