BTEX biodegradation and its nitrogen removal potential by a newly isolated Pseudomonas thivervalensis MAH1

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) are of great environmental concern because of their widespread occurrence in groundwater and soil, posing an increasing threat to human health. The aerobic denitrifying BTEX-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas thivervalensis MAH1 was isolated from BTEX-contaminated sediment under nitrate-reducing conditions. The degradation rates of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene by strain MAH1 were 4.71, 6.59, 5.64, and 2.59 mg·L⁻¹day⁻¹, respectively. The effects of sodium citrate, nitrate, and NaH2PO4 on improving BTEX biodegradation were investigated, and their optimum concentrations were 0.5 g·L⁻¹, 100 mg·L⁻¹, and 0.8 mmol·L⁻¹, respectively. Moreover, MAH1, which has nirS and nosZ genes, removed ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite at 2.49 mg NH(4)(+)-N·L⁻¹·h⁻¹, 1.50 mg NO(3)(-)-N·L⁻¹·h⁻¹, and 0.83 mg NO(2)(-)-N·L⁻¹·h⁻¹, respectively. MAH1 could help in mitigating the pollution caused by nitrogen amendments for biostimulation. This study highlighted the feasibility of using MAH1 for the bioremediation of BTEX-contaminated sites.