International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences
ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 2 Number 6 (2013) pp. 1-18
Environmental studies on the microbial degradation of oil hydrocarbons and its application in Lebanese oil polluted coastal and marine ecosystem
Darin Maliji, Zakia Olama* and Hanafy Holail
Biological and Environmental Science Department, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon
*Corresponding author e-mail: zakia.olama@bau.edu.lb
A B S T R A C T
One of the major environmental problems today is hydrocarbon contamination resulting from the activities related to the petrochemical industry, therefore, accidental releases of petroleum products are of particular concern in the environment, which could lead to consequences for the biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem if not restored. Remediation of hydrocarbon- contaminated system could be achieved either by physiochemical or biological method. Present study aims to use biological methods for the remediation of the contaminated sites. Screening study for the isolation of the promising hydrocarbon degraders and optimization experiments to evaluate the best environmental and physiological factors that lead to maximum degradation of hydrocarbons revealed that, Bacillus cereus A , Bacillus cereus B and Bacillus sp. ZD the most promising hydrocarbon degraders were isolated from Lebanese marine ecosystem and identified using 16S rRNA. Bacillus cereus A showed maximum diesel oil degradation (82.41% and 81.56% of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons) after 2 days incubation under shaken condition, at pH 7, 100 ml culture volume and 2% inoculum size. Seven nutritional factors were examined for their significance on hydrocarbon degradation using a statistical design known as Plackette-Burman. Maximum diesel oil degradation produced by Bacillus cereus A was revealed by the statistical design. Immobilization technique showing that Bacillus cereus A can be used for diesel oil degradation on large environmental scale, solving by this one of the problems of oil spill management that results from the petrochemical industry and saving the environment from additional water and soil pollution.
Keywords
Biostimulation stratagem; promising hydrocarbon degraders; degradation of hydrocarbon; Bacillus cereus; Plackett- Burman;