ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS BIODEGRADATION BY A Pseudomonas STRAIN

The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain to tolerate and degrade aliphatic petroleum hydrocarbons. P. aeruginosa IBBCt8 was isolated from a seawater sample using crude oil as the sole carbon source in a minimal medium. The bacterium was identified as P. aeruginosa based on its morphological, biochemical, and molecular characteristics. P. aeruginosa IBBCt8, which possesses alkB (870 bp) and rhlAB (216 bp) genes in its genome, showed a higher tolerance and degradation efficiency of the n-hexadecane, n-decane, cyclohexane, or paraffin oil, compared with the tolerance to n-hexane and its degradation. P. aeruginosa IBBCt8 cells produced rhamnolipid biosurfactants which showed a very good emulsification activity against the tested aliphatic hydrocarbons. Due to its characteristics, the isolated bacterium could be used in the bioremediation of petroleum-polluted environments.