Author:
Thouand G,Bauda P,Oudot J,Kirsch G,Sutton C,Vidalie J F
Abstract
Experiments have been performed to screen eight microbial commercial products that, according to the manufacturers, are able to degrade crude oil. This study compared the crude oil biodegradation activity of commercial inocula with that of natural inocula (activated sludge and tropical aquarium water). Some of the latter were previously adapted to the crude oil as the only carbon source. Nutrients and sorbents in the commercial formulations were eliminated, and each inoculum was precultured on marine yeast extract medium. Crude oil biodegradability tests were conducted with close initial substrate concentration to initial bacterial concentration ratios (S0/X0) of 0.94 g of crude oil/109CFU, which allowed a comparison of biodegradation activity. The inocula oxidized the crude oil after a short lag time of less than 3-18 days. After that time, the rate of oxidation varied between 45 and 244 mg O2/(L·day). Crude oil biodegradation after a 28-day test was effective only for 10 out of 12 inocula (from 0.1 to 25% in weight). Biodegradation mainly corresponded to the saturated fraction of the crude oil; the asphaltene fraction was never significantly biodegraded. Our results led to the conclusion that natural inocula, either adapted or not adapted to crude oil, were the most active (from 16 to 25% of loss in crude oil weight) and only one commercial inoculum was able to degrade 18% of the crude oil. Other inocula had a biodegradation activity ranging from 0.1 to 14%.Key words: biodegradability tests, microbial inoculum, crude oil, seeding.
Publisher
Canadian Science Publishing
Subject
Genetics,Molecular Biology,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology,General Medicine,Immunology,Microbiology
Cited by
53 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献