Bioremediation Potential of Nocardia Petroleophila on Hexadecane and Sodium Benzoate
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56919/usci.2543.011Keywords:
Bioremediation, Nocardia petroleophila, Hexadecane, Sodium benzoate, GC–MSAbstract
This study evaluated the biodegradation potential of Nocardia petroleophila on two hydrocarbon pollutants, hexadecane (aliphatic) and sodium benzoate (aromatic), under varying environmental conditions of temperature and salinity. A laboratory-scale experiment was conducted using N. petroleophila strain 238 obtained from the University of Wolverhampton, UK. Growth and degradation assays were performed in basal salt medium supplemented with 0.5% hexadecane or sodium benzoate under different temperatures (20–45 °C) and salinities (0–7% NaCl). Growth was measured by optical density (OD600), while degradation was validated by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Statistical analysis was conducted using one-way ANOVA, with significance set at p < 0.05. N. petroleophila exhibited optimal growth at 30 °C and 2% NaCl, with significantly higher growth on hexadecane compared to sodium benzoate (p < 0.05). GC analysis confirmed 93.4% degradation of hexadecane within 162 h, whereas sodium benzoate supported limited degradation (< 30%). GC–MS revealed the disappearance of parent hydrocarbon peaks and the appearance of intermediates including fatty acids (from hexadecane) and catechol derivatives (from sodium benzoate). This study provides the first systematic characterization of the temperature- and salinity-dependent biodegradation of hexadecane and sodium benzoate by N. petroleophila. The findings highlight the organism’s strong potential for field-scale bioremediation of aliphatic hydrocarbons under moderate salinity and mesophilic conditions, while also revealing limitations in aromatic degradation. Future studies should focus on pilot-scale validation and mixed hydrocarbon environments.
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