• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.301-307
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• 2011

Oil pollution was world-wide prevalent treat to the environment, and the physic-chemical remediation technology of the TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbon) contaminated soil had the weakness that its rate was very slow and not economical. Bioremediation of the contaminated soil is a useful method if the concentrations are moderate and non-biological techniques are not economical. The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of additives on TPH degradation in a diesel contaminated soil environment. Six experimental conditions were conduced; (i) diesel contaminated soil, (ii) diesel contaminated soil treated with microbial additives, (iii) diesel contaminated soil treated with microbial additives and the mixture was titrated to the end point of pH 7 with NaOH, (iv) diesel contaminated soil treated with microbial additives and accelerating agents and (v) diesel contaminated soil treated with microbial additives and accelerating agents, and the mixture was titrated to the end point of pH 7 with NaOH. After 10 days, significant TPH degradation (67%) was observed in the DSP-1 soil sample. The removal of TPH in the soil sample where microbial additives were supplemented was 38% higher than the control soil sample during the first ten days. The microbial additives were effective in both the initial removal rate and relative removal efficiency of TPH compared with the control group. However, various environmental factors, such as pH and temperature, also affected the activities of microbes lived in the additives, so the pH calibration of the oil-contaminated soil would help the initial reduction efficiency in the early periods.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.101-107
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• 1998

Biological treatment of Arabian light crude oil-contaminated pebble was investigated in laboratory microcosms after supplementation with inorganic nutrients and oil-degrading microorganisms. Glass columns ($10cm{\times}20cm$) were used as microcosms and each microcosm was filled with pebbles of diameter less than 40 mm. After initial oil contamination of 2.4% (w/v), Inipol EAP-22 or slow release fertilizer (SRF) was added as inorganic nutrients and microorganisms were sprayed over pebbles. When $C_{17}$/pristane and $C_{18}$/phytane ratios were used as a marker for oil biodegradation, both ratios for microcosm supplemented with SRF and microorganisms were the lowest (below detectable range) after 92 days. Elimination of oil by abiotic processes, however, were minimal with decrease of $C_{17}$/pristane and $C_{18}$/phytane ratios from 3.55 and 2.41 to 3.06 and 1.50, respectively. The numbers of heterotrophic and oil-degrading microorganisms, and biological activity (dehydrogenase activity) corresponded to the course of biodegradation activities in all microcosms. During the whole experimental period, there was no significant nutrient deficiency only in the microcosm with SRF and microorganisms. It seemed that a continuous supply of inorganic nutrients using SRF was the most important factor for the successful performance of biological treatment in oil-contaminated pebbles.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2006

The analysis of functional population and its dynamics on the environment is essential for understanding bioremediation in environment. Here, we report a method for oligonucleotide microarray for the monitoring of aliphatic and aromatic degradative genes. This microarray contained 15 unique and group-specific probes which were based on 100 known genes involved pathways in biodegradation. Hybridization specificity tests with pure cultures, strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa KCTC 1636 indicated that the designed probes on the arrays appeared to be specific to their corresponding target genes. It was found that the presence of 8 genes encoding alkane, naphthalene, biphenyl, pyrene (PAH ring-hydroxylating) degradation pathway could be detected in oil contaminated soil sample. Therefore, the findings of this study strongly suggest that oligonucleotide microarray is an effective diagnostic tool for evaluating biodegradation capability in oil contaminated subsurface environment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.297-300
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• 2004

The various microbial tests were performed to determine bioremediation agent capacity for eight strains isolated from the oil contaminated regions. Two tests for isolated strains were conducted such as cell hydrophobicity and emulsifying activity. The biodegradation of SHM (saturated hydrocarbon mixture) and AHM (aromatic hydrocarbon mixture) with the strains also was carried out. The strains having higher cell hydrophobicity and emulsifying activity degraded petroleum oil effectively. The degradation capacity for SHM was represented more than 90% in YS-7 and WLH-1 of isolated strains, and KH3-2 were capable of degrading AHM. Especially, WLH-1 as yeast was shown more than two or three times in the degradation capacity of automobile engine lubricants and the biomonitoring results of contaminated soil for residual oil degrading test showed that the hydrocarbon biodegradation was increased in the second treatment by this strain.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.24-30
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• 2011

Tidal flats which are ecologically sensitive, are hard to remediate once they are contaminated by oil spill accidents. Traditional oil remediation measures focus on removal efficiency, and their improper implementation can adversely affect crude oil contaminated coastal areas and greatly disrupt the structure and functions of crude oil contaminated tidal flats. In this study, the oil degradation due to the implementation of remediation measures naturally enhanced using air and natural oil sorbents was evaluated in the lower strata of tidal flats. The effects of air and natural oil sorbents on oil degradation for two concentration levels (< 500 ppm and > 500 ppm) were tested at artificially contaminated tidal flats. Fifty days after these treatments, the natural oil sorbent treatment showed the lowest total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentration ($4.46{\pm}1.47%$) at the low concentration level, whereas both air and natural oil sorbent treatments showed high degradation efficiencies at the high concentration level ($29.30{\pm}4.39%$). Although the phosphatase activity decreased for all treatments, there was no significant difference between the decreases for the different treatments; on the other hand, B-glucosidase activities were high for both air and natural oil sorbent treatments. Although degradation efficiencies decreased as the concentration increased, the air provision and natural oil sorbent treatment could be an effective ecological restoration measure for oil contaminated tidal flats while minimizing the environmental impact of the remediation efforts.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1998.10b
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• pp.177.1-177
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• 1998

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.473-480
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• 1997

Microorganisms producing bioemulslfiler were isolated from the sea water In Pusan coastal area. The isolated strain which had the highest emulsification activity and stability was identified as the genus Achetobacter from the results of morphological. cultural and biochemical tests and named Achetobacter sp. EL-C6 for convenience. The compositions of optimum medium for emulsification of crude oil by Acinetobacter sp. EL-C6 were crude oil 2.0%, NH4NO3 0.2%, $K_2HPO_4$ 0.01%, $MgSO_4$.$7H_2O$ 1.o%, $CaCl_2$.$2H_2O$ 0.1% and NaCl 3.0% at initial pH 7.5 and 3$0^{\circ}C$, respectively. The cultivation for emulsification of crude ell was carried out in 500m1 shaking flask containing 100m1 of the optimum medium at 3$0^{\circ}C$. The highest emulsification was observed after 5 days. The utilization on the various hydrocarbon of the Achetobacter sp. EL-C6 showed that utilization of n-alkane compounds were better than that of aromatic compounds. Among the petroleum compounds, crude ell was best utilized by the Achetobacter sp. EL-C6.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.283-291
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• 2012

Bioremediation efforts often rely on the application of surfactants to enhance hydrocarbon bioavailability. However, synthetic surfactants can sometimes be toxic to degrading microorganisms, thus reducing the clearance rate of the pollutant. Therefore, surfactant-resistant bacteria can be an important tool for bioremediation efforts of hydrophobic pollutants, circumventing the toxicity of synthetic surfactants that often delay microbial bioremediation of these contaminants. In this study, we screened a natural surfactant-rich compartment, the estuarine surface microlayer (SML), for cultivable surfactant-resistant bacteria using selective cultures of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Resistance to surfactants was evaluated by colony counts in solid media amended with critical micelle concentrations (CMC) of either surfactants, in comparison with non-amended controls. Selective cultures for surfactant-resistant bacteria were prepared in mineral medium also containing CMC concentrations of either CTAB or SDS. The surfactantresistant isolates obtained were tested by PCR for the Pseudomonas genus marker gacA gene and for the naphthalene-dioxygenase-encoding gene ndo. Isolates were also screened for biosurfactant production by the atomized oil assay. A high proportion of culturable bacterioneuston was tolerant to CMC concentrations of SDS or CTAB. The gacA-targeted PCR revealed that 64% of the isolates were Pseudomonads. Biosurfactant production in solid medium was detected in 9.4% of tested isolates, all affiliated with genus Pseudomonas. This study shows that the SML is a potential source of surfactant-resistant and biosurfactant-producing bacteria in which Pseudomonads emerge as a relevant group.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1598-1609
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• 2013

Organochlorine pesticide residues continue to remain as a major environmental threat worldwide. Lindane is an organochlorine pesticide widely used as an acaricide in medicine and agriculture. In the present study, a new lindane-degrading yeast strain, Pseudozyma VITJzN01, was identified as a copious producer of glycolipid biosurfactant. The glycolipid structure and type were elucidated by FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, and GC-MS analysis. The surface activity and stability of the glycolipid was analyzed. The glycolipids, characterized as mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), exhibited excellent surface active properties and the surface tension of water was reduced to 29 mN/m. The glycolipid was stable over a wide range of pH, temperature, and salinity, showing a very low CMC of 25 mg/l. Bio-microemulsion of olive oil-in-water (O/W) was prepared using the purified biosurfactant without addition of any synthetic cosurfactants, for lindane solubilization and enhanced degradation assay in liquid and soil slurry. The O/W bio-microemulsions enhanced the solubility of lindane up to 40-folds. Degradation of lindane (700 mg/l) by VITJzN01 in liquid medium amended with bio-microemulsions was found to be enhanced by 36% in 2 days, compared with degradation in 12 days in the absence of bio-microemulsions. Lindane-spiked soil slurry incubated with bio-microemulsions also showed 20-40% enhanced degradation compared with the treatment with glycolipids or yeast alone. This is the first report on lindane degradation by Pseudozyma sp., and application of bio-microemulsions for enhanced lindane degradation. MEL-stabilized bio-microemulsions can serve as a potential tool for enhanced remediation of diverse lindane-contaminated environments.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.150-157
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• 2007

The advanced bioremediation of diesel-contaminated soil through the exploration of bacterial interaction with plants was studied. A diesel-degrading rhizobacterium, Rhodococcus sp.412, and a plant species, Zea mays, having tolerant against diesel was selected. Zea mays was seeded in uncontaminated soil or diesel-contaminated soil with or without Rhodococcus sp. 412. After cultivating for 30 days, the growth of Zea mays in the contaminated soil inoculated with Rhodococcus sp. 412 was better than that in the contaminated soil without the bacterium. The residual diesel concentrations were lowered by seeding Zea mays or inoculating Rhodococctis sp. 412. These results Indicate that the simultaneous use of Zea mays and Rhodococcus sp. 412 can give beneficial effect to the remediation of oil-contaminated soil. Bacterial community was characterized using a 16S rDNA PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting method. The similarities of DGGE fingerprints were $20.8{\sim}39.9%$ between the uncontaminated soil and diesel contaminated soil. The similarities of DGGE fingerprints were $21.9%{\sim}53.6%$ between the uncontaminated soil samples, and $31.6%{\sim}50.0%$ between the diesel-contaminated soil samples. This results indicated that the structure of bacterial community was significantly influence by diesel contamination.