Petroleum hydrocarbons are recalcitrant contaminants that have various impacts on the natural ecosystem. Microorganisms have been widely used in recent years to remove the hydrocarbons that are present in crude oil. The objective of this research was to isolate and select microorganisms that have the potential to degrade hydrocarbons present in mangrove sediments. In present study, we have isolated fungi from clean sediment contaminated with different fractions (i.e., saturated hydrocarbons, aromatic, and no hydrocarbon compounds (NSO)) of two types of oil. There were two types of oxidation tests were performed: one in multi well plates and the other in stirring and temperature control. Screening tests were conducted to detect the biodegradation of petroleum fractions with 72 fungal isolates over a period between 12 and 48 hours. With the two oxidation tests, the 2,6-dichlorophenol-indo phenol (DCPIP) indicator made it possible to select fungi with the potential to degrade the three main fractions of oil in the Reconcavo and Campos Basins. It was observed that the fungal isolates in the cleaned sediment were able to oxidize the three fractions of both types of oil. It was also concluded that some isolated strains oxidize oil faster and more efficiently than others. The formation of a consortium with the isolated consortium was a potential for the increase of the degradation of oil in the environment.

This study evaluated the bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Santos Bay (SB) and the adjacent Santos Continental Shelf (SCS) in Brazil. Biliary metabolites were measured in several fish species to establish a baseline for future monitoring programs. Bile samples from different species of fish were collected monthly from July to December 2005 in SB, and in August 2005 and February 2006 on SCS. Metabolite concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detectors. Naphthalene, phenanthrene, and benzo[a]pyrene metabolite concentrations ranged from 24 to 810 µg g -1 of bile, 1.8 to 68 µg g -1 of bile, and below the limit of quantitation to 1.3 µg g -1 of bile, respectively. Despite its high concentrations, the levels of naphthalene metabolites were in regions of low-contamination, while benzo[a]pyrene metabolite were in the same range as those reported in moderately contaminated areas, which may indicate pyrolytic contamination by PAHs. No significant differences in the metabolite concentrations were found between the SB and the SCS samples or during the periods of collection. Future studies with a single biomonitoring species should be conducted, considering age, sex, and feeding condition of the individuals. The metabolite data presented in this study is an important baseline information for this urbanized region, which hosts several sources of contaminants.

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