Effects of interaction between montmorillonite and Sphingomonas sp. GY2B on the physical and chemical properties of montmorillonite in the clay-modulated biodegradation of phenanthrene

Environmental context Interactions between microbes and minerals can influence geochemical reactions, and hence are of fundamental importance in natural environmental processes. We investigate the effects of Sphingomonas sp. on the structure and physicochemical properties of montmorillonite, a common clay mineral, and determine how this interaction influences the biodegradation of phenanthrene. The findings have profound impact on the clay-modulated biodegradation of organic compounds in the environment. Abstract We investigate the effect of Sphingomonas sp. GY2B on the structure and physicochemical properties of montmorillonite (Mt). The simultaneous biodegradation of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compound, phenanthrene, was also monitored. After interaction with bacteria for 2 days, the increases of the specific surface area (SSA) and micropore volume, differences of the thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC) patterns and the morphological changes revealed modification of the physicochemical properties and mineral surface. Although the interlayer spacing of Mt remained unchanged, the appearance and shift of several vibration peaks in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra confirmed the structural changes of Mt arising from bacterial activities. Concentrations of the major elements of montmorillonite changed greatly in the aqueous solution, especially Si, Al, Fe and Ca. Based on the analyses of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR, these changes were mainly ascribed to the formation of precipitates and minerals in the biotic experiment. Changes in the release rate of different elements also substantiated that the GY2B strain has a considerable impact on the dissolution of montmorillonite. Additionally, a preferential release of Si and the 27Al and 29Si cross-polarisation magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS NMR) spectra of bacteria-untreated samples demonstrated that tetrahedral sheets were preferentially destroyed and octahedral sheets in montmorillonite were dissolved. These results showed that microorganisms can greatly affect the physical and chemical properties of clay minerals in the clay-modulated biodegradation of hydrophobic organic contaminants. This study provides valuable insight into the clay-modulated microbial remediation of organic pollutants in the environment.