Biodegradation of Kerosene by Native Bacteria Isolated from Vegetated and Kerosene Contaminated Fields' Soil in Khuzestan Province

The present study was conducted to investigate the possibility of growth of native bacteria isolated from some kerosene-contaminated soils in Khuzestan province for degradation of oil spills. After the primary stages of enrichment, isolation, and screening, bacteria were identified based on the gene sequences of 16S rRNA gene. The ability of native bacteria as the bacteria using hydrocarbons in the presence of oil products such as kerosene and crude oil at 1% concentration of solid and liquid minimum salt medium (MSM) was measured. A split-plot experiment with a factorial design was conducted with factors such as oil (kerosene and crude oil), bacteria, and time in three replicates, using the microbial inoculation inoculum (with a population of 108 CFU/ml) in both liquid and solid growth environments. The degradation ability of hydrocarbons in solid and liquid growth environments was investigated using colony diameter assessment and turbidity, respectively. In this research, five bacteria belonging to the genera of Microbacterium phyllosphaerae (ZS1.9), Bacillus megateriuns (ZS2.12), Staphylococcus epidermidis (ZS3.170), Streptomyces albogriseolus (ZS4.9), and Bacillus subtilis (ZS5. 210) were identified. The results revealed that the bacteria had the highest and lowest growth in the presence of kerosene and crude oil, respectively. Among the oil products used in this study, kerosene had the highest degradation rate. Furthermore, the ability of bacteria for degradation oil products increased by increasing incubation period. The findings of this study revealed the ability of different bacterial species in bioremediation of environmental pollution to various hydrocarbons.