Emulsification of Hydrocarbons Using Biosurfactant Producing Strains Isolated from Contaminated Soil in Puebla, Mexico

Abstract

Among Mexico's main riches are its oil and the great expanses of land used to grow food. A large number of pipelines pass through Mexico's agricultural region carrying diesel, gasoline or crude oil, however, lack of maintenance of the pipeline installations, fuel theft, vehicle transport and even the topographical, terrain and hydrological conditions of the site cause a high incidence of contamination. Petrolic activities have generated extensive pollution of soils worldwide, mainly in those regions where petroleum is explored, extracted, and refined. The composition of hydrocarbons on polluted soil varies according to environmental conditions and natural degradation processes. In México there are soil impacted by weathered hydrocarbons, which are predominantly saturated and aromatic, become more recalcitrant if polluted soils are not remediated, affecting the underground water, food chains, and diverse human activities. Hydrocarbon spills on agricultural soil have direct repercussions on soil quality and its function. Some authors [1] indicate that hydrocarbon contamination reduces food crop growth by preventing water and nutrient absorption through the roots, and reducing the transport of metabolites and respiration rate.

Assessment of Biosurfactant Production and Petroleum Hydrocarbons Biodegradation Capability of Actinomycetes Isolated from Soils

“…bernadiae could have mineralised diesel the most because the isolates produced higher biosurfactants in diesel compared to other contaminants. This tallies with the study of Prez-Armendriz et al 23 who, although worked on bacteria, identified that PAHs degradation rates were high as a result of the high biosurfactant production by their isolates. The reason for A. slackii mineralizing aviation fuel the most is not farfetched; aviation fuel contains the least aromatic hydrocarbons when compared to other contaminants.…”

Role of Chlorella sp. and rhamnolipid 90 in maintaining homeostasis in soil contaminated with bisphenol A

“…However, one should not dismiss the fact that plants contain monooxygenases of cytochrome P450 (CYP8D1), which increase their resistance to organic contamination (Daudzai et al 2018). Furthermore, the activity of biosurfactants can be moderated by phenolic compounds used preferentially as a source of carbon (Pérez-Armendáriz et al 2013). This was probably the reason why the interaction of BPA at the highest dose and rhamnolipid 90 brought the desired result.…”

Characterization of a Microbial Consortium for the Bioremoval of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Water

“…All cultures were incubated at room temperature. After four sub-cultures, the diesel was replaced by the target PAHs (pyrene, naphthalene, and phenanthrene) in the Lebac medium, which was the only carbon source available for the growth and maintenance of the microorganisms, at a concentration of 5 mg L −1 [14,22]. The microbial consortium was reserved for the bioremoval experiment.…”

“…However, working with microbial consortia requires an adaptation period, which consists of pre-enrichment and enrichment phases that depend on the compound analyzed, and the microorganisms’ ability to degrade the target PAHs at contaminated sites must be proven [13,14,15,16]. In the present study, ore waste was used because it commonly contains microorganisms that have survived mining contaminants (including PAHs) and that may have the capacity to remove certain organic compounds.…”