Hydrocarbon degraders from tropical marine environments

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 118 - 121
• Main Authors: Zinjarde, S.S, Pant, A.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Ascomycetes; Biodegradation of pollutants; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Candida; Candida - isolation & purification; Candida - physiology; Candida albicans; Candida guilliermondii; Candida intermedia; Candida parapsilosis; Candida species; Candida tropicalis; Crude oil degradation; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Energy; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment and pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hydrocarbons - metabolism; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Marine; Natural water pollution; Petroleum - metabolism; Pollution; Pollution caused by production, transportation and treatment of oil and oil shales. Water and soil pollution. Treatments. Pollution control; Pollution, environment geology; Seawaters, estuaries; Tropical Climate; Tropical marine environments; Water Microbiology; Water Pollutants - metabolism; Water treatment and pollution; Yarrowia; Yarrowia - isolation & purification; Yarrowia - physiology; Yarrowia lipolytica; ISW, Arabian Sea, Mumbai Offshore; India, Maharashtra, Greater Mumbai Dist., Mumbai; Crude oil degradation; Candida species; Tropical marine environments; Candida albicans; Biodegradation; Candida guilliermondii; Candida intermedia; Yeast; Hydrocarbon; Tropical zone; Candida parapsilosis; Fungi; Marine environment; Crude oil; Saccharomycopsis lipolytica; Bacteria; Candida tropicalis; Ascomycetes; Water pollution; Fungi Imperfecti; Thallophyta; Seawater
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/S0025-326X(01)00185-0

Analysis of 20 samples of marine mud and water around Mumbai resulted in the isolation of 17 bacteria and yeasts all of which were able to degrade more than 10% of the supplied crude oil. The yeasts strains were important degraders of the aliphatic fraction of crude. All the isolated yeasts belonged to the genus Candida. Using biochemical tests these were identified as Candida parapsilosis, C. albicans, C. guilliermondii, Yarrowia lipolytica, C. tropicalis and C. intermedia. Y. lipolytica was the best degrader utilizing 78% of the aliphatic fraction of Bombay High crude oil. None of these isolates degraded the aromatic or ashphaltene fractions. All the isolates required aeration, nitrogen and phosphate supplementation for optimal degradation. Four out of the six yeasts are human pathogens.