Isolation and characterization of bacteria from crude petroleum oil contaminated soil and their potential to degrade diesel fuel.

Potential hydrocarbon degrader bacteria were isolated from soil samples that have been exposed to crude petroleum oil spills. Bacterial population of these polluted soils showed counts ranging between 9.5 x 10(5) and 237.5 x 10(5) CFU/g soil with 2 different colony types of bacterial strains which have been recovered on the agar plates. Results indicated that longer aged contamination exhibited a greater number of microorganisms. Phenotypic examination of the recovered bacteria revealed that they belong mainly to the genus Pseudomonas, Enterobacter and Acinetobacter. Turbidity, dry weight and physical appearance were used as an indication for the ability of these bacteria to grow on diesel. Action of three different Pseudomonas species, Acinetobacter lowffi, Enterobacter cloacae and Rhodococcus erythropolis on 0.1 % (v/v) diesel was followed at 1, 2, 6 and 12 h. Pseudomonas putida and P. mallei and Enterobacter cloacae indicated a positive reaction; however, Pseudomonas maltophilia and Acinetobacter lowffi showed no effect.