Isolation, identification, degradation potential of kerosene and crude oil degrading microbes

Hydrocarbon pollutants in contaminated soils can potentially be degraded by microbial activity. The potentiality of microbes as agents of degradation of several compounds thus indicates biological treatment as the major promising alternative to attenuate environmental impact caused by pollutants. The present study was designed to identify microorganism present in the agricultural contaminated kerosene and crude oil treated soil sample and study their degradation. Serial dilution of 1gm of treated soil samples showed distinct colonies at 10-4, 10-5 and 10-6 dilution and found to identified 5colonies. Colonies subjected to biochemical test revealed that they were Acinetobacter baumamii, Azotobacter tropicalis, Bacillus subtilis, Corynebacterium variabilis, Flavobacterium lutescens. The pH of the kerosene and crude oil also increased as the degradation percentage increased. The isolated organism were analysed for hydrocarbon degradation with 4ml kerosene and 4ml of crude oil in minimal salt medium. The degrada tion of the kerosene and crude oil was increased from 0th day of 0.78% to 20.22% in 16th day and for crude oil degradation increased from 0th day of 0.43% to 13.48% in 16th day.