Biosurfactant Production by Acinetobacter venetianus and Its Application in Bioremediation

Abstract

Oil spills in marine environments are common due to the intense flow of transport. One of the ways to reduce the effects caused by these spills is bioremediation. A biosurfactant produced by Acinetobacter venetianus AMO1502, a strain isolated from oil spilled off the Brazilian coast, was investigated as a bioremediation agent. The highest cell growth and biosurfactant production were obtained using a culture medium supplemented with NaCl. The biosurfactant had high emulsifying activity and reduced the surface tension of water by up to 41.7 %. This biomolecule showed high stability related to temperature, pH, and NaCl addition as petroderivate removal agent, reaching 25 % removal of the engine oil in sand and 12 % removal of the oil in an aqueous medium, also reducing oil stains adsorbed on contaminated stones.