Crude oil degradation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIM 5514: Influence of process parameters

Petroleum hydrocarbon pollution is a major environmental concern in developing countries as these pollutants cause hazardous effects to the ecosystems and environment. Green technologies using microorganisms for remediation of these pollutants have gained considerable attention. Petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants degrading and biosurfactant producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIM 5514 was isolated from crude oil polluted site of Ankleshwar, Gujarat, India. Effect of agitation, temperature, pH, NaCl concentration, petroleum and non-petroleum carbon source and its concentrations, nitrogen sources and inoculum ratio on growth of P. aeruginosa NCIM 5514 were studied. Optimum growth of P. aeruginosa NCIM 5514 was observed at 1% (w/v) glucose, pH 7.2, incubation at 37 degrees C at 180 rpm with 1% (v/v) inoculum for four days. However, this organism also utilized crude oil and glycerol as sole carbon source. Thus, P. aeruginosa used in the presented study here appeared as a mesophilic, halotolerant, aerobic, crude oil utilizer strain. Bioaugmentation studies of this bacterial isolate would help exploring its commercial feasibility in bioremediation of subsurface oil spills.