Abstract

Assessment of Hydrocarbon Degradability of the Bacterial Species Isolated from Different Oil Contaminated Sites of Bangladesh

Author(s): Islam Sajib MS and Rahman T

The demand and use of petroleum products are increasing day by day, which in turn accelerates the possibility of accidental spillage of hydrocarbon fuels during transportation, natural seeps or due to routine maintenance of infrastructure. As cleanup of an oil spill is usually difficult and expensive, a cost-effective technique for mitigating the excess petroleum hydrocarbon from the environment is of the utmost need. In this study, the ability of the microorganisms isolated from different oil contaminated sites of Bangladesh has been assessed by examining their degradation potential by using heterogeneous hydrocarbon fuels as substrates. Bushnell-Haas agar (BHA) media was used to isolate and identify the hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria. 10 types of bacterial species were grown on the BHA with 1% petroleum hydrocarbon (petrol/octane/diesel) in liquid form as their sole carbon sources. Isolates were incubated in orbital shaking incubator at 37°C for up to 15 days to determine the hydrocarbon degradation capability. Amount of petroleum degradation was identified by gravimetric analysis, a technique by which the amount of a chemical substance can be determined through the measurement of mass. The prominent petrol degradative bacteria were identified as Pseudomonas spp. (58%). In the case of diesel and octane degradation, Bacillus spp. was found to be more effective, 79% and 54% respectively, compared to the other isolates.