Screening and Identification of Petroleum-Degradation Bacteria in the Surface Seawater from the Red Sea Coast of Al-Hodeidah City, Yemen
Abstract:
Bacteria play a significant role in the biochemical cycling in aquatic environments. Environmental pollution from ports and jetties are complicated due to the various types of pollution, sources and their different characteristics. Although oil contaminants are weathered by photo-oxidation and evaporation complete degradation is dependent on the metabolic activities of the microbial population inherent to the area. The PDB in seawater from the Red Sea coast of Al-Hodeidah city were determined by serial dilution and plating on Bushnell Haas Agar and the isolated bacteria were identified by MicroScan Walkaway 96 plus system (BECKMAN - COULTER). The extracts of petroleum hydrocarbons n-alkanes were subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection. EPH aliphatic hydrocarbon standard 14 components (C9 – C36). Petroleum degrading bacterial counts in surface seawater (PDBCs) was from 1.10 x 103 CFU/ ml and 2.94 x103 CFU/ml, high counts were obtained in summer. The bacteria isolated were belonged to an Aeromonas Hydrophila Complex. Aeromonas Hydrophila Complex was capable of using 10% Petroleum hydrocarbons n-alkanes of 1997.169 ppm concentration used crude oil, in 15 days under laboratory conditions at 25 ◦C with Bushnell-Haas media.
