Simultaneous biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalates by bacterial consortium and its bioremediation for complex polluted soil and sewage sludge

• Bacterial consortia EC2, HS and Syn can simultaneously degrade both PAHs and PAEs. • Consortia exhibit higher removal for both PAHs and PAEs than the isolated member strains. • Consortia shift community structures with enriching pollutant-degrading genera. • Consortia change EPS contents and components to enhance adaptation and degradation. • Consortia remarkably promote bioremediation of joint polluted media by PAHs and PAEs. Simultaneous biodegradation of multiple micropollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phthalates (PAEs) by microbial consortia remain unclear. Here, four distinct bacterial consortia capable of degrading PAHs and PAEs were domesticated from sludge and its composts. PAH-degrading consortium HS and PAE-degrading consortium EC2 displayed the highest degradation efficiencies for PAHs (37 %–99 %) and PAEs (98 %–99 %), respectively, being significantly higher than those of individual member strains. Consortia HS and EC2 could simultaneously degrade both PAHs and PAEs. Remarkably, a synthetic consortium Syn by co-culturing consortia HS and EC2 demonstrated proficient simultaneous biodegradation for both PAHs (65 %–98 %) and PAEs (91 %–97 %). These consortia changed their community structure with enriching pollutant-degrading genera and extracellular polymeric substance contents to promote simultaneous biodegradation of multiple pollutants. Moreover, consortium Syn significantly enhanced degradation of both PAHs and PAEs in soil and sludge. This study provides strong candidates for simultaneous bioremediation of complex polluted environments by PAHs and PAEs.