• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.97-108
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• 2000

A Gram-type negative bacteria that can utilize crude oil as the sole source of carbon and energy was isolated from an activated sludge of a local sewage treatment plant and identified tentatively as belonging to the genus Acinetobacter. The isolate could degrade n-alkanes and unidentified hydrocarbons in crude oil and utilize n-alkanes, hydrophobic substrates, as sole carbon and energy sources. n-Alkanes from tridecane (Cl3) to triacontane (C30) in crude oil were degraded simultaneously with no difference in degradation characteristics between the two close odd and even numbered alkanes in carbon numbers. The linear growth of the isolate and the degradation characteristics of Pr-alkanes suggested that the transport of substrates from the oil phase to the site where the substrates undergo the initial oxidation in microorganism might be the rate limiting in the biodegradation process of crude oil constituents. The remainder fraction of substrates after cultivation was considered to reflect the hydrocarbon inclusions in the cell mass, characteristics in Acinetobacter species, and to control the transport of substrates from crude oil phase. On the basis of the results, the isolate was considered to play an important role in the degradation study of hydrophobic environmental pollutants.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1599-1606
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• 2011

To evaluate the effects of microorganism agents on oil biodegradation, treatability and microcosm studies were conducted. Petroleum oil degrading bacteria were isolated from enriched cultures of oil-contaminated sediment samples using a mineral salts medium (MSM) containing 0.5% Arabian heavy crude oil as the sole carbon source. After a 5 day-incubation period using MSM, mixed microorganisms of three species (strains BS1, BS2 and BS4) degraded 48.4% of aliphatic hydrocarbons and 30.5% of aromatic hydrocarbons. Treatability and microcosm tests were performed in the three different treatment conditions (AO: Arabian heavy crude oil, AO+IN: Arabian heavy crude oil+inorganic nutrient, AO+IN+MM: Arabian heavy crude oil+inorganic nutrient+mixed microorganism agents). Among these, significantly enhanced biodegradation of aliphatic hydrocarbons were observed in AO+IN and AO+IN+MM conditions, without showing any different biodegradation rates in either condition. However, the degradation rates of aromatic hydrocarbons in an AO+IN+MM condition were increased by 50% in the treatability test and by 13% in the microcosm test compared to those in an AO+IN condition. Taken together, it can be concluded that mixed microorganism agents enhance the biodegradation of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in laboratory, a treatability test, and a microcosm test. This agent could especially be a useful tool in the application of bioremediation for removal of aromatic hydrocarbons.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.114-117
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• 1996

Biodegradation potential of crude oil has been studied in liquid and soil slurry culture. Studies were performed to optimize the factors affecting metabolic activity. Arabian Light(sulfur content 1%) was used as a representative crude oil and Nocardia sp. was selected as an oil degrading microorganism based on its ability to degrade and emulsify Effects of various nutritional and environmental conditions as well as emulsification and surface tension were observed. Tentative optimization of environmental and nutritional condition were as follow; pH 8, sodium nitrate as inorganic nitrogen source, yeast extract 0.05%, phosphate concentration 0.25% and glucose addition of 1.0% (w/v basis), extent of degradation to 78 %.

• 한국석유지질학회:학술대회논문집
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• autumn
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• pp.68-84
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• 1999

Biodegradation is a natural weathering process by microorganisms to decompose spilled oil or environmental contaminants. To accelerate this process, applying nutrients (fertilizer) or more microorganisms to naturally occurring microorganisms is called 'Bioremediation.' Presently, most popular response technique to spilled oil is mechanical cleanup using booms or skimmers. For the alternative to this technique, chemical dispersants, in-situ burning are used. Another promising alternative is bioremediation and it can clean oil contaminated seashore during enough time. In this paper, types of bioremediation technologies, its usage potential, and important consideration issues when applying this technique were summarized.

• 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 Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.35-42
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• 1996

Seawater samples were collected from P'ohang coastal area during April 1995 - January 1996. The distribution of total heterotrophic bacteria and crude oil-degrading bacteria (CDB) were studied. In addition, biodegradation of crude oil was investigated through mono and mixed culture. The heterotrophic bacterial distribution was in the range of 4.1 $\times$ $10^4$- 1.2 $\times$ $10^5$ CFU/$m\ell$, respectively. The percent of crude oil-degrading bacteria against total heterotrophic bacteria was 0.05-0.54% which was lower than other marine samples reported. Therefore it could be suggested that the distribution of crude oil-degrading bacteria in the seawater of P'ohang coastal area was highly affected by presence of petroleum hydrocarbon. Taxonomical characteristics of 26 isolates were investigated. The results of identification were showed 7 genera which were Acinetobacter spp., Bacillus spp., Citrobacter spp., Micrococcus spp., Moraxella spp., Rhodococcus spp., and Serratia spp. Appearance of Enterobacteriaceae indicated that the seawater was polluted with wastewater. Also genus of Bacillus had predominant in CDB on P'ohang coastal area. In flask culture, biodegradation of crude oil was enhanced by addition of mixed culture of CDB.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1185-1192
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• 2012

This study investigated the hydrocarbonoclastic microbial community present on weathered crude oil and their ability to degrade weathered oil in seawater obtained from the Gulf St. Vincent (SA, Australia). Examination of the native seawater communities capable of utilizing hydrocarbon as the sole carbon source identified a maximum recovery of just $6.6{\times}10^1\;CFU/ml$, with these values dramatically increased in the weathered oil, reaching $4.1{\times}10^4\;CFU/ml$. The weathered oil (dominated by > $C_{30}$ fractions; $750,000{\pm}150,000mg/l$) was subject to an 8 week laboratory-based degradation microcosm study. By day 56, the natural inoculums degraded the soluble hydrocarbons (initial concentrations $3,400{\pm}700mg/l$ and $1,700{\pm}340mg/l$ for the control and seawater, respectively) to below detectable levels, and biodegradation of the residual oil reached 62% ($254,000{\pm}40,000mg/l$) and 66% ($285,000{\pm}45,000mg/l$) in the control and seawater sources, respectively. In addition, the residual oil gas chromatogram profiles changed with the presence of short and intermediate hydrocarbon chains. 16S rDNA DGGE sequence analysis revealed species affiliated with the genera Roseobacter, Alteromonas, Yeosuana aromativorans, and Pseudomonas, renowned oil-degrading organisms previously thought to be associated with the environment where the oil contaminated rather than also being present in the contaminating oil. This study highlights the importance of microbiological techniques for isolation and characterisation, coupled with molecular techniques for identification, in understanding the role and function of native oil communities.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 1993.10a
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• pp.19-19
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• 1993

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.197-200
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• 2003

In oil-contaminated environments, anaerobic biodegradation of toluene depended on the concentration and distribution of terminal electron acceptor as well as the physicochemical properties such as DO concentration, redox potential and pH. This study showed the anaerobic biodegradation of toluene in two different soils by using nitrate reduction, ferric iron reduction, sulfate reduction and methanogensis. Toluene degradation rates in the soil samples taken from rice filed and tidal mud flat by nitrate reduction were higher than those by other processes. Tho soil samples from the two fields were enriched for 130 days by providing toluene as a sole carbon source and nitrate or sulfate as a terminal electron acceptor. The toluene degradation rates in the enriched denitrifying consortia obtained from the rice field and tidal mud flat soil were 310.7 and 200.6 $\mu$mol$ L^{-1}$ / $d^{-1}$, respectively. The toluene (legradation rates in the enriched sulfate-reducing consortia from the fields ranged fi-om 149.1 to 86.1$\mu$mol $L^{-1}$ / $d^{-1}$ .

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.408-412
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Influence of oil concentration and inoculum size on petroleum biodegradation in soil by Nocardia sp. H17-1, isolated from oil-contaminated soil. To investigate the effect of initial oil concentration on total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) degradation, the soil was artificially contaminated with 10, 50 or 100 g of Arabian light oil per kg of soil, respectively. After 50 days, Nocardia sp. H17-1 degraded 78,94 and 53% of the each initial TPH concentration, respectively. Also, it produced 1.35, 4.21, and 5.91 mmol of $CO_2$ per g of soil, respectively. The degradation rate constant (k) of TPH was decreased in proportion to the initial oil concentrations while $CO_2$ production was increased with the concentration. The growth of Nocardia sp. H17-1 was remarkably inhibited when it was inoculated into soil containing 100 g of oil per kg of soil. To evaluate the effect of the inoculum size, the soil was artificially contaminated with 50 g of Arabian light oil per kg of soil, and inoculated with $3${\times}$10^{6}$ , $5${\times}$10^{7}$ , $2${\times}$10^{8}$ cells per g of soil, respectively. After 50 days, the degradation of TPH was remained with similar in all treatment but degradation rate constant (k) and evolved $CO_2$ was increased with increasing the inoculum size.