Phenanthrene Biodegradation by Pseudomonas xanthomarina Isolated from an Aged Contaminated Soil

The bacterial community of a soil contaminated by a mothball chemical industry mainly consisted of Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria (with Achromobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp., respectively, as the most representative genera). Upon addition of phenanthrene, species of these two genera were found in the enrichment cultures as well as among the isolated strains. The isolated bacteria were tested for phenanthrene degradation, but only Pseudomonas xanthomarina, either as single culture or in a consortium, showed this capability. Here we show that in aged contaminated soils some members of the bacterial community are active in biodegradation processes, can be easily isolated, and may result appropriated for bioremediation uses.