Addition of biochar significantly promoted the biodegradation of phenol by phenol-degrading bacteria and its metabolomic analysis

The use of biochar to assist in microbial degradation is seen as key for eliminating organic pollutants. This study examined how biochar affects the degradation of phenol by phenol-degrading bacteria (PDB). The findings indicate that phenol removal reached 82.4% at a concentration of 1300 mg/L by PDB combined with biochar, surpassing 41.6% phenol removal ratio by PDB. Microbial community analysis indicated that there was a notable increase in <i>Gammaproteobacteria, Serratia</i>, <i>Raitonia</i> and <i>Enterobacter</i> in the biochar-assisted sample. Via GC-MS analysis and metabolomic analysis, the findings revealed that the phenol degradation pathway used by PDB was an ortho-cleavage pathway. PICRUSt2 analysis suggested that the addition of biochar might enhance PDB metabolism by modulating the degradation of inprotocatechuate, toluene and phenylacetate. Metabolomic analysis indicated that biochar demonstrated potential to augment PDB biodegradation by promoting Oxygen-driven metabolism and fuelling bacterial energy needs. This study sheds light on how biochar affects PDB biochemical breakdown.