Degradation of 2,6-diisopropilnaftalene (DIPN) with macrophytes inoculated with bacteria

2,6-Diisopropylnaftalene (DIPN), belonging to the family of alchil-naphtalene, is found as a contaminant of paper mill’s waste waters. Hence, it was taken as a model molecule for degradation studies by biological systems, obtained by an adequate combination of microorganisms and wetland treatments. In a research project carried out in 2006-2007, suitable populations of bacteria were isolated from soil, identified and used as rhizosphere inoculants for different macrophytes (Typha latifolia, Carex elata, Phragmites australis, Juncus effusus and Phalaris arundinacea), that were used in an experiment with subsurface wetland treatment units. The majority of the selected bacterial strains have a wide range of carbon source utilization and were able to effectively colonize the soil, although they seem to interfere with the rhizosphere of only some of the plant species selected for phytoremediation, thus indicating that the coordinate selection of plants and microorganisms for phytoremediation has to be performed carefully. Among wetland species, Ph. australis showed the best potential in abating DIPN.