Detection and Mineralization of Organic Pollutants in Mesopotamian Marsh Water Using a Batch Bioreactor

This study investigated the detection and mineralization of organic pollutants in the Mesopotamian marshes.

Over the course of seven days of treatment, a batch bioreactor system and natural microbial communities from marsh sediments were able to break down contaminants in a remarkable way.

Water samples collected from five distinct marsh locations revealed significant contamination, with the Central marshes showing the highest pollutant concentrations (aliphatic hydrocarbons, 100 μg/L; phenols, 40 μg/L; aromatic hydrocarbons, 5000 μg/L; and pesticides, 120 μg/L). Notable findings included the near-complete elimination of aliphatic hydrocarbons (85%-99% reduction) across all sites, as well as substantial decreases in aromatic hydrocarbons (79%-92%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that previously unidentified bacterial species labeled as FF-A5 and FF-A6 were the dominant bacterial species in the batch reactor. These bacterial species have most likely been native bacteria with an exceptional capacity for breaking down pollution.

The results suggested the possibility of using native microbial community bioremediation methods to effectively restore marsh ecosystems and lower organic pollution in these important wetlands in a sustained manner.

Customized treatments guided by the synergistic interactions among the several bacterial species revealed in this work could help to improve pollution degradation and ecological restoration of the Mesopotamian wetlands.