The impact of calcium peroxide on groundwater bacterial diversity during naphthalene removal by permeable reactive...

Oxygen-releasing compounds (ORCs) have recently gained much attention in contaminated groundwater remediation. We investigated the impact of calcium peroxide nanoparticles on the groundwater indigenous bacteria in a bioremediation process by permeable reactive barrier (PRB). Three sand-packed columns were applied, including (1) control column (fresh groundwater), (2) natural remediation column (contaminated groundwater), and (3) biostimulation column (contaminated groundwater amended with CaO₂). Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria constituted the main phyla among the identified isolates. According to the results of next-generation sequencing, Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum (81% relative abundance) in the natural remediation condition. But, it was declined to 38.1% in the biostimulation column. Meanwhile, the abundance of Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes were increased to 25.9% and 15.4%, respectively, by exposing the groundwater microbial structure to CaO₂ nanoparticles. Furthermore, orders Chlamydiales, Nitrospirales, and Oceanospirillales existing in the control column were detected in the presence of naphthalene. Shannon index was 4.32 for the control column samples, while it was reduced to 2.73 and 2.00 in the natural and biostimulation columns, respectively. Therefore, the present study provides a considerable insight into the impact of ORCs on the groundwater microbial community during the bioremediation process.