Study of Bacterial Degradation of Hydrocarbons Around Some Oil Polluted Sites of Visakhapatnam

Abstract

ABSTRACT The significant cause of pollution in the aquatic and the terrestrial environment is hydrocarbons. Alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatics, polyaromatics, i.e., Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) etc. constitute Petroleum. PAHs including their degradative products are highly toxic and carcinogenic. The degradation mechanisms are accomplished in the presence of light and the organisms such as bacteria, fungi and algae. Major degradation of nearly all hydrocarbons will achieved mostly by bacteria. In the present work oil degrading microorganisms were isolated from oil polluted areas i.e. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Visakhapatnam Port trust and degradative studies were undertaken. Six microbial strains capable of using hydrocarbon as sole source of carbon were isolated from the soil sample from HPCL and Visakhapatnam Port trust. These isolates were purified from soil samples on the basis of their colony morphology, texture, growth, and temperature and hydrocarbon utilization ability. Out of which five are Gram negative and one Gram positive. Based on the biochemical tests all the six strains belongs to the genus Pseudomonas and Bacillus were identified. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was identified as the efficient degrader among the various strains isolated which can be applied towards oil discharge and spill treatment.

Keywords: hydrocarbons, degradation, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, immuno-toxicants, mutagenic, PAHs

Cite this Article: Geetha.S., Jyothi K., Suneetha S. Study of Bacterial Degradation of Hydrocarbons around some Oil Polluted Sites of Visakhapatnam. International Journal of Biochemistry and Biomolecules. 2019; 5(2): 20–27p.