The Study of Bacterial Biodegradation of Crude Oil Using Bacteria Mixture

نویسندگان

1 Department of Chemical Engineering, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, I.R. IRAN

doi
10.30492/ijcce.2024.2033084.6659
چکیده

Exploitation of oil resources, utilization and transportation of petroleum products, waste emissions, and oil spill incidents repeatedly have detrimental effects on the ecosystem. Methods that use physical skimming and chemical dispersants to address this issue are both costly and limited in efficiency. The present study aims to assess the potential of mixed bacterial strains, including Pseudomonas pseudomallei, Staphylococcus aureus, and Proteus vulgaris, in degrading crude oil residues. The effects of different cultivation parameters (NaCl concentration, initial hydrocarbon concentration, and the role of chemical surfactants) on the biodegradation of crude oil were evaluated. Optimal biodegradation of crude oil by the consortium occurred at an initial hydrocarbon concentration of 4%. Among non-ionic surfactants, Tween 80 was the most effective in enhancing crude oil degradation. Additionally, as salinity increased, crude oil degradation gradually improved. Biodegradation products under optimal cultural conditions were analyzed using GC-MS. The results indicated that over 69.5% of the total petroleum hydrocarbons were degraded by the mixed microbial consortium.