Toxicologia Ambiental e Analítica

An Indigenous Biosurfactant Producing Burkholderia cepacia with High Emulsification Potential towards Crude Oil

Abstract

Qadreyah Almatawah

In this study, the isolation of a potent indigenous biosurfactant-producing bacterium with potential value in enhanced bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil and oil tertiary recovery from the soil was investigated. An indigenous biosurfactant producing Gram-negative-rod-shaped bacterial strain (KISRQC) was isolated from oil-contaminated soil in Kuwait. The strain was able to reduce the surface tension below 41.1 mN/m with all tested hydrocarbons and had excellent emulsification activity toward crude oil. The strain was identified as Burkholderia cepacia. Crude biosurfactant extract from this strain was found to contain lipid with 94.9% unsaturated fatty acids. The crude biosurfactant extract was able to reduce the surface tension to 24.6 mN/m at concentration 2 g/l. Characterization of the crude biosurfactant extract activities indicated that it was stable when exposed to high and low temperatures for a reasonable time period (>month) and in the presence of 5% NaCl. The crude biosurfactant extract was effective in recovering 99% of the residual crude oil from oil-saturated sand packs. This study shows the ability of Burkholderia cepacia KISRQC to produce a highly stable biosurfactant with the strong emulsification ability towards crude oil from non-toxic material. Suggesting its potential for commercial exploitation for enhanced bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil and oil recovery from the soil.