16S rRNA - Soil Microcosms Contaminated with Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Different Bioremediation Treatments Metagenome

Petroleum hydrocarbons pose significant environmental and health risks due to toxicity and persistence in the environment. Moreover, improving the efficiency of bioremediation in petroleum-contaminated soils remains a challenge. To address this, the present study explored the use of a marine-derived fungal consortium with diverse metabolic capabilities and analyzed different treatments to achieve greater bioremediation efficiency. Microcosms with petroleum-contaminated soil (2 %) were submitted to the following treatments: natural attenuation (T1), biostimulation (T2), bioaugmentation (T3), and biostimulation/bioaugmentation (T4). Treatments T3 and T4 employed a consortium of two marine-derived filamentous fungi (Aspergillus sclerotiorum CRM 348 and Trichoderma harzianum CRM 470) with known bioremediation potential. The treatments were maintained for 60, 120, and 180 days, and analyzed for alkane and PAH degradation, dehydrogenase activity, phytotoxicity, and microbial community dynamics. The combination of the fungal consortium and nutrients (T4) increased the efficiency of alkane and recalcitrant PAH degradation, while reducing soil toxicity. The microbial community analysis revealed a succession of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria and fungi across all treatments over time. This study highlights the importance of temporal dynamics in hydrocarbon bioremediation and promotes the use ofmicroorganisms from environments beyond the soil.