Biochar impacts on soil microbiota and potential application of biochar

as an inoculant carrier for bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon

contaminated soil

Oral Defence by PhD Candidate Franziska Srocke

Department of Plant Science
January 8, 2020 @ 9:15 — Macdonald Stewart Building, Room MS2-022

Abstract
This Ph.D. project investigated the use of wood-derived biochars as carriers for bacterial inoculants for
bioaugmentation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. Biochar is a carbonaceous solid produced by
pyrolysis of biomass and has a highly porous structure suitable for microbial attachment. Using synchrotron X-
ray microtomography and multifractal analysis, we demonstrated that the internal structure of softwood pellet
biochars consisted of a highly connected, homogenous and isotropic network of pores. Furthermore, the
diversity, structure and dynamics of a biochar-immobilized community of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria was
assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that biochar properties can cause a significant
shift in biochar-associated communities. Biochar particle size also affected community structures (alpha and beta
diversity) over time. A soil microcosm experiment revealed that neither biochar amendment nor inoculation with
a hydrocarbon-degrading Rhodococcus sp. enhanced the dissipation of petroleum hydrocarbons compared to
the control soil after 70 days. However, biochar significantly increased alpha diversity in soil communities, and
some biochars caused significant shifts in community composition. Bacterial assemblages on the biochar
particles were enriched in Xanthomonadaceae, Flavobacteriaceae and Sphingobacteriaceae, and had higher
proportions of Rhodococcus, suggesting that the inoculant persisted on biochar surfaces. This work contributed
novel insights into biochar effects on soil microbial communities in contaminated soil. Although these effects did
not lead to an improved hydrocarbon degradation, the findings provided evidence that biochars may be used
for the purpose of stimulating specific microbial taxa.

About the Candidate

Franziska Srocke holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree in Biotechnology from Beuth
University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, Germany. Her joint Ph.D. project was
split between the Department of Plant Science at McGill University under the
supervision of Professor Donald Smith and the School of GeoSciences at the
University of Edinburgh under the supervision of Dr. Ondrej Masek.