ANALISIS DE LA BIORREMOCIÓN DE HIDROCARBUROS AROMÁTICOS POLICÍCLICOS EN AGUA POR SPME-GC/MS

The persistent organic pollutants in water, such as, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a potential risk for the environment and human health. The USEPA classified the PAHs pyrene, phenanthrene and naphthalene within the 16 PAH of the priority pollutants for their toxicity, distribution and occurrence in the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate a microbial consortium from an ore waste as an alternative to remove these three PAHs in water. The consortium was stabilized using the PAHs as the only carbon source. The bioremoval of the PAHs was analyzed using the environmentally friendly technique called solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS). The PAHs percent recoveries were reported in a range of 85 - 97 %. The percentage removal for naphthalene, pyrene and phenanthrene was 99 %, 98 % and 94 %, respectively at a concentration of 100 mg/L after 14 days of incubation. The pH values reported (pH = 5.2 - 5.6) may indicate the PAHs degradation in water. It is concluded that the microbial consortium studied has potential for removal of PAHs from water.