Biorremediação e fitorremediação : seus potenciais na despoluição de ambientes aquáticos

Abstract

Maintaining a healthy aquatic ecosystem is essential to ensure the survival of various species and to support multiple human uses. Among the various threats to water bodies, the discharge of domestic effluents stands out, as it leads to nutrient enrichment, eutrophication, proliferation of aquatic plants, and consequent degradation of water quality. Another major issue is the release of petroleum and its derivatives. Pollution from these compounds can occur from small fuel leaks from boats in rivers to large crude oil spills in the ocean. The removal of these pollutants is a complex and costly task. However, there are nature-based solutions, such as bioremediation and phytoremediation, that can significantly contribute to addressing these issues. Aiming to present an alternative for the removal of petroleum derivatives from aquatic environments and to improve water quality through biotechnologies, this study sought to isolate bacteria with bioremediation potential for these pollutants from the Gramame River. Laboratory tests were conducted to verify the potential of these bacteria against gasoline and diesel oil. In addition, the effectiveness of a bioremediating floating boom sustainable in reducing concentrations of ammonia, phosphate, nitrite, nitrate, and other water quality parameters was tested. During the experiment, plastic curtains were added to the floating boom sustainable to increase the bioremediation rate. The results indicated the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria with bioremediation potential for diesel in the waters of the Gramame River. Furthermore, a significant increase in dissolved oxygen concentration was observed after the installation of the plastic curtains.