A New Thioalkalivibrio sp. Strain Isolated from Petroleum-Contaminated Brackish Estuary Sediments: A New Candidate for Bio-Based Application for Sulfide Oxidation in Halo-Alkaline Conditions

Abstract

A new halo-alkaline sulfur-oxidising bacterial strain was isolated from brackish estuary sediments contaminated by total petroleum hydrocarbon. The isolate was classified as a new strain of Thioalkalivibrio sulfidiphilus sp., showing a higher capability of adaptation to pH and a higher optimal sodium concentration for growth, when compared to Thioalkalivibrio sulfidiphilus sp. HL-EbGr7, type strain of the species. The strain was capable to grow in saline concentrations up to 1.5 M Na+ and pH up to 10. The genome of the new isolate was sequenced and annotated. The comparison with the genome of Thioalkalivibrio sulfidiphilus sp. HL-EbGr7 showed a duplication of an operon encoding for a putative primary sodium extruding pump and the presence of a sodium/proton antiporter with optimal efficiency at halo-alkaline conditions. The new strain was able to oxidize sulfide at halo-alkaline conditions at the rate of 1 mmol/mg-N/h, suitable for industrial applications dedicated to the recovery of alkaline scrubber for H2S emission absorption and abatement.