Departmental Seminar
Bioremediation Approaches for Combating Persistent Organic Pollutants in Marine Sediments
Abstract
Marine sediments in the heavily industrialized Aliağa region of Izmir, Türkiye, accumulate persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). These halogenated compounds are characterized by strong hydrophobicity and persistence, leading to long‐term accumulation in benthic habitats and posing significant ecotoxicological and human health risks via trophic transfer and bioaccumulation. Anaerobic organohalide-respiring bacteria, especially Chloroflexi-related microorganisms, can reductively dehalogenate these compounds, converting them into less-halogenated, and often less toxic, products. Therefore, those bacteria offer a promising in-situ bioremediation strategy. In particular, bioaugmentation with a Chloroflexi‐enriched consortium and biostimulation via targeted micronutrient amendments may enhance simultaneous PCB and PBDE removal. The objectives of this study were to determine the abundance of dehalorespiring bacteria in Aliağa region sediments, to compare the effectiveness of bioaugmentation, biostimulation, and natural attenuation for POP degradation in sediment microcosms, and to evaluate the ecotoxicological risks associated with residual and intermediate PCB and PBDE compounds.
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