Abstract
Crude oil pollution has consistently deteriorated all environmental compartments through the cycle of activities of the oil and gas industries. However, there is a growing need to identify microbes with catabolic potentials to degrade these pollutants. This research was conducted to identify bacteria with functional degradative genes. A crude oil-polluted soil sample was obtained from an aged spill site at Imo River, Ebubu, Komkom community, Nigeria. Bacteria isolates were obtained and screened for hydrocarbon degradation potential by turbidometry assay. Plasmid and chromosomal DNA of the potential degraders were further screened for the presence of selected catabolic genes (C230, Alma, Alkb, nahAC, and PAHRHD(GP)) and identified by molecular typing. Sixteen (16) out of the fifty (50) isolates obtained showed biodegradation activity in a liquid broth medium at varying levels. Bacillus cereus showed highest potential for this assay with an optical density of 2.450 @ 600 nm wavelength. Diverse catabolic genes resident in plasmids and chromosomes of the isolates and, in some cases, both plasmid and chromosomes of the same organism were observed. The C230 gene was resident in >50% of the microbial population tested, while other genes occurred in lower proportions with the least observed in nahAC and PAHRHD. These organisms can serve as potential bioremediation agents.
Highlights
Petroleum hydrocarbons have been identified as a significant group of environmental pollutants in technologically advanced countries
Baseline Properties of the Samples. e representative samples of the crude oil-polluted soil were analyzed using physicochemical, gas chromatographic, and microbiological analysis to ascertain the extent of contamination, and gas chromatograph-flame ionization detector (GCFID) revealed detectable concentrations of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) values as 8695.7723 mg/kg and 989.1188 mg/kg, respectively, as shown in the chromatograms (Figures 2 and 3)
Degradation assay was conducted to determine the biodegradation potential of putative hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria isolated from the crude oil-contaminated soil. e optical density readings were at variance across all bacterial isolates at different days
Summary
Petroleum hydrocarbons have been identified as a significant group of environmental pollutants in technologically advanced countries. E high alarming rate of petroleum hydrocarbons build-up in the environment has led to menacing human and ecosystem safety such as rescinding soil structures, a detrimental effect on groundwater quality, and deterring plant growth [3]. Crude oil/petroleum hydrocarbons presents diverse physical properties as a result of their complex mixtures of several individual compounds classified based on polarity as saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes [4,5,6]. It has been discovered that PAHs are one of the major factors causing the rapid development of cancer as a result of constant exposure to a mixture of highly concentrated PAHs. is has led to the destruction of genetic materials and later stimulates the growth of cancers [8]. Some PAHs possess numerous health hazards attributes such as genotoxic, carcinogenic, and cytotoxic, especially to aquatic organisms which may be passed onto humans via consumption of sea foods [9]
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