• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.606-614
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• 1998

In this study, biodegradation rate of Arabian light crude oil by mixed cultures of selected petroleum-degraders was determined. Their modes of hydrocarbon uptake were then observed to determine whether there are differences in biodegradation rate by the mixed cultures. By the mixed cultures of petroleum-degraders having same modes of hydrocarbon uptake, such as strain US1 and K1 (using pseudo-solubilized hydrocarbons by a biosurfactants), K2-2 and P1(using hydrocarbons by direct contact), CL 180 and IC-10 (mixed type of uptake modes), the biodegradation rates of aliphatics in the crude oil were increased more than those by their pure cultures, about 40%, 25% and 20%, respectively. Biodegradation rate of strain KH3-2 (using only water- dissolved hydrocarbons) was increased by mixed cultures with strain K1, CL180 or IC-10 possessing high emulsifying activity. However, the biodegradation rate of the crude oil was decreased about 20%-40% by the mixed cultures of petroleum-degraders having different mode of hydrocarbon uptake, such as addition of strain US1 or K1 in the cultures of K2-2 or P1. Biosurfactants produced by US1 or K1 seems to enhance the emulsification of crude oil in aqueous phase but inhibit the attachment of K2-2 or P1 to crude oil. As same phenomena, the addition to Triton X-100 into the culture of strain US1, K1, CL180, IC-10 or KH3-2 increased the biodegradation rate, but the addition in the culture of strain K2-2 or P1 decreased the biodegradation rate. The mixed culture made of CL180, IC-10 and KH3-2 degraded 61.5% of aliphatics and 69% of aromatics in 3% (v/v) of Arabian light crude oil added.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.97-108
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• 2012

Microbial degradation of hydrocarbons is found to be an attractive process for remediation of contaminated habitats. However the poor bioavailability of hydrocarbons results in low biodegradation rates. Cyclodextrins are known to increase the bioavailability of variety of hydrophobic compounds. In the present work we purified the Cyclodextrin Glucanotransferase (CGTase) enzyme which is responsible for converting starch into cyclodextrins and studied its role on biodegradation of diesel oil contaminated soil. Purification of CGTase from Enterobacter cloacae was done which resulted in 6 fold increase in enzyme activity. The enzyme showed maximum activity at pH 7, temperature $60^{\circ}C$ with a molecular weight of 66 kDa. Addition of purified CGTase to the treatment setup with Pseudomonas mendocina showed enhanced biodegradation of diesel oil ($57{\pm}1.37%$) which was similar to the treatment setup when added with Pseudomonas mendocina and Enterobacter cloacae ($52.7{\pm}6.51%$). The residual diesel oil found in treatment setup added with Pseudomonas mendocina at end of the study was found to be $73{\pm}0.21%$. Immobilization of Pseudomonas mendocina on alginate containing starch also led to enhanced biodegradation of hydrocarbons in diesel oil at 336 hours.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.27-35
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• 2024

It was known that crude oil can be mainly divided into saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes. If microbial biodegradation of asphaltenes is effectively viable, additional oil production will be expected from depleted oil reservoir. Meanwhile, biodegradation can be applied to other aspects, such as the bioremediation of spilled oil. In this case, the biodegradation of asphaltenes also plays an important role. It has been already reported that asphaltenes are decomposed by bacterial consortia. However, the biodegradation mechanism of asphaltenes has not been clearly presented. The major reason is that the molecular structure of asphaltenes is complicated and is mainly in a aggregated form. In this paper, it was presumed that the biodegradation process of asphaltenes may follow the microbial oxidation mechanism of saturates and aromatics which are easier biodegradable than asphaltenes among the crude oil components. In other words, the biodegradation process was explained by serial stages; the contact between asphaltenes and bacteria in the presence of biosurfactants, and the decomposition of alkyl groups and fused-rings within the asphaltene structure.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.716-719
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• 2001

The mobilization and biodegradation of phenanthrene in soil was enhanced by using paraffin oil, which was stabilized by the addition of a surfactant (Brji 30). The ratio of paraffin oil/Brij 30 was determined by measuring the change in the critical micelle concentration. When only surfactant was used, the stabilized paraffin oil emulsion could dissolve more phenanthrene in the water phase. Column experiment showed increased phenanthrene mobilization from the contaminated soil. The phenanthrene mobilized in the paraffine oil/Brij 30 emulsion was biodegraded faster than that in water phase or surfactant solution. This result indicates that a paraffin oil/surfactant system can be effectively used for the removal of PAH from contaminated soil.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.337-345
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• 2005

The degradation of phenanthrene, a model PAH compound, by microorganisms either in the mixed culture or individual strain, isolated from oil-contaminated soil in oil refmery vicinity sites, was examined. The effects of pH, temperature, initial concentration of phenanthrene, and the addition of carbon sources on biodegradation potential were also investigated. Results showed that soil samples collected from four oil refinery sites in Korea had different degrees of PAH contamination and different indigenous phenanthrene-degrading microorganisms. The optimal conditions for phenanthrene biodegradation were determined to be 30$^{circ}C$ and pH 7.0. A significantly positive relationship was observed between the microbial growth and the rate of phenanthrene degradation. However, the phenanthrene biodegradation capability of the mixed culture was not related to the degree of PAH contamination in soil. In low phenanthrene concentration, the growth and biodegradation rates of the mixed cultures did not increase over those of the individual strain, especially IC10. High concentration of phenanthrene inhibited the growth of microbial strains and biodegradation of phenanthrene, but was less inhibitory on the mixed culture. Finally, when non-ionic surfactants such as Brij 30 and Brij 35 were present at the level above critical micelle concentrations (CMCs), phenanthrene degradation was completely inhibited and delayed by the addition of Triton X100 and Triton N101.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.787-796
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• 1996

The biodegradation experiment, the TOD analysis and the element analysis for dispersant, Bunker-A oil and Bunker-B oil were conducted to study the biodegradation characteristics of a mixture of Bunker-A oil with dispersant and a mixture of Bunker-B oil with dispersant in the seawater. The results of biodegradation experiment showed 1mg of dispersant to be equivalent to 0.26 mg of $BOD_5$ and to 0.60 mg of $BOD_{20}$ in the natural seawater. The results of TOD analysis showed each 1 mg of dispersant, Bunker-A oil and Bunker-B oil to be equivalent to 2.37 mg, 2.94 mg and 2.74 mg of TOD, respectively. The results of element analysis showed carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and phosphorus contents of dispersant to be $82.1\%,\;13.8\%,\;1.8\%\;and\;2.2\%$, respectively. Carbon and hydrogen contents of Bunker-A oil were found to be $73.3\%\;and\;13.5\%$, respectively, and carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen contents of Bunker-B oil to be $80.4\%,\;12.3\%\;and\;0.7\%$, respectively. Accordingly, the detection of nitrogen and phosphorus in dispersant shows that dispersants should be used with caution in coastal waters, with relation to eutrophication. The biodegradability of dispersant expressed as the ratio of $BOD_5/TOD$ was found to be $11.0\%$. As the mix ratios of dispersant to Bunker-A oil (3 mg/l) and a mixture of Bunker-B oil (3mg/l) were changed from 1 : 10 to 5 : 10, the biodegradabilities of a mixture of Bunker-A oil with dispersant and Bunker-B oil with dispersant increased from $2.1\%\;to\;7.2\%$ and from $1.0\%\;to\;4.4\%$, respectively. Accordingly, the dispersant belongs to the organic matter group of middle-biodegradability while mixtures in the mix ratio range of $1:10\~5:10$ belong to the organic matter group of low-biodegradability. The deoxygenation rate constant $(K_1)$ and ultimate biochemical oxygen demand $(L_0)$ obtained from the biodegradation experiment and Thomas slope method were found to be 0.125/day and 2.487 mg/l for dispersant (4 mg/l), respectively. $K_1\;and\;L_0$, were found to be $0.079\~0.131/day$ and $0.318\~2.052\;mg/l$ for a mixture of Bunker-A oil with dispersant and to be $0.106\~0.371/day$ and $0.262\~1.106\;mg/l$ for a mixture of Bunker-B oil with dispersant, respectively, having $1:10\~5:10$ mix ratios of dispersant to Bunker-A oil and Bunker-B oil. The ultimate biochemical oxygen demands of the mixtures increased as the mix ratio of dispersant to Bunker-A, B oils changed from 1 : 10 to 5 : 10. This suggests that the more dispersants are applied to the sea for the cleanup of Bunker-A oil or Bunker-B oil, the more decreases the dissolved oxygen level in the seawater.

• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.205-209
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• 2003

The various pretreatment processes were evaluated for removal of oil pollutants with weathered oil contaminated seawater in a reverse osmosis desalination process. Weathered oil contaminated seawater was made by biodegradation and photooxidation with oil containing seawater. Coagulation, ultrafiltration, advanced oxidation processes and granular activated carbon filtration was used with pretreatment for dissolved organic carbon. Crude oil was removed but. weathered oil contaminated seawater was not removed by biodegradation and coagulation. DOC and E260 was removed with about 20 % and 40 % by membrane filter of cut off molecular weight 500. So, the most of dissolved organic carbon in weathered oil contaminated seawater was revealed that molecular weight was lower than 500. It is difficult to remove DOC in weathered oil contaminated seawater by advanced oxidation processes treatment, but, E260 was removed more high. However, DOC in weathered oil contaminated seawater was easily adsorbed to GAC. It is revealed that DOC was removed by adsorption.

• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.227-230
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• 2000

Bunker-A oil-degrading microorganisms were isolated from a marine environment using an enrichment culture technique. The isolated strain EL-081K was identified as the genus Acinetobacter based on the results of morphological, culture, and biochemical tests. The optimal temperature and initial pH for bunker-A oil degradation were $25^{\circ}C$ and 7.0, respectively, including aeration. The optimal medium composition for the degradation of bunker-A oil by Acinetobacter sp. EL_O81K was 10 ml/l bunker-A oil as the carbon source and 0.1% (NH$_4$)$_2$SO$_4$as the nitrogen source. Under the above conditions, the biodegradability of bunker-A oil was 38% after 96 hours of incubation. The addition of detergent did not increase the bunker-A oil degradation.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.289-294
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• 2003

The purpose of the study was to get the valuable data for developing the new natural fat soaps which have an excellent biodegradation performance. Thus, natural fat soaps mixed with the two types of detergents (AOS and LAS) on the various concentrations were made and the biodegradation of the samples were analysed by Dissolved Oxygen method using active sludge. Also, the results were compared with the commercial synthetic detergents and market soaps. The results from the study were the followings: 1. The plant fat soap and the wasted oil soap with the concentration of 5 mg/l and 15 mg/l had an excellent biodegradation rather than animal fat soap. 2. There was little difference among samples with the concentration of 5 mg/l, but there was much difference among them with the concentration of 15 mg/l. 3. The periods for consuming oxygen of wasted oil soap mixed AOS and LAS was the fastest.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2003

To evaluate the effects of slow release fertilizer and chemical dispersant on oil biodegradation, mesocosm studies were conducted on sand seashore. The rapid removal rates (85%) of aliphatic hydrocarbons and the simultaneous decreases of n-$C_{17}$/pristane (69%) and $n-C_{18}/phytane$ (61%) ratios by the addition of slow-release fertilizer (SRF) within 37 days of experiment indicated that SRF could enhance the oil degrading activity of indigenous microorganisms in sand mesocosm. Although the growth of heterotrophic bacteria and petroleumdegrading bacteria in the mesocosm treated with $Corexit 9527^{R}$ was stimulated, the biological oil removal based on the ratios of $Corexit 9527^{R}$ and $n-C_{18}/phytane$ was inhibited. Removal rates of aliphatic hydrocarbons (56%), and n-$C_{17}$/pristane (27%) and $n-C_{18}/phytane$ (17%) ratios by the addition of chemical dispersant $Corexit 9527^{R}$ were similar or lower than those values of control (50, 60, 46%), respectively. The biodegradation activity, however, when simultaneously treated with SRF and $Corexit 9527^{R}$, was not highly inhibited and even recovered after the elimination of chemical dispersant. From these results it could be concluded that the addition of SRF enhanced the oil removal rate in oligotrophic sand seashore and chemical dispersant possibly inhibit the oil biodegradation. Hence, in order to prevent the unrestrained usage of chemical dispersant in natural environments contaminated with oil, the National Contingency Plan of Oil Spill Response should be carefully revised in consideration of the application for bioremedaition techniques.