Propylene glycol degrading bacteria and related functional biomarkers in Gardermoen airport contaminated soil

摘要

Gardermoen airport (Oslo) was built on the largest rain fed unconfined aquifer in Norway. The area is a glacial contact formation with sand and gravels dominating near the ground surface and the soil is highly leached, with low biological and biochemical activities. Every winter large amount of propylene glycol (PG) is used as de-icing compound for the removal of snow and ice on airplanes. Although this contaminant is easily degraded by biotic or abiotic factors along the soil profile, it may still threaten groundwater when the system is overloaded. The aim of the present study was the characterization of the indigenous bacterial communities affected by the PG spreading and the development of suitable genetic biomarkers for monitoring the biodegradation process. The selected functional probes were qgdA gene for PG alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH-IIG) and par gene for phenylacetaldehyde reductase (PAR), which react specifically with secondary alcohols.