Phenanthrene- and naphthalene-degrading bacteria were isolated from four offshore and nearshore locations in the Gulf of Mexico by using a modified most-probable-number technique. The concentrations of these bacteria ranged from 10(2) to 10(6) cells per ml of wet surficial sediment in mildly contaminated and noncontaminated sediments. A total of 23 strains of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PA...

Oil spills can be disastrous to any ecosystem. Bioremediation through bioaugmentation (addition of oil-degrading bacteria) and biostimulation (addition of nutrients N&P) options can be a promising strategy for combating oil spills following first response actions. However, bioaugmentation is one of the most controversial issues of bioremediation since nutrient addition alone has a greater effec...

Capping is typically used to control contaminant release from the underlying sediments. However, the presence of conventional sediment caps will often eliminate or slow natural degradation that might otherwise occur at the surface sediment. The objective of this study was to explore the potential of a novel reactive capping, an electrode enhanced cap for the remediation of PAH contaminated sedi...

A plating medium was developed to isolate N-phosphonomethylglycine (glyphosate)-degrading microorganisms, with glyphosate as the sole phosphorus source. Two industrial biosystems treating glyphosate wastes contained elevated microbial counts on the medium. One purified isolate metabolized glyphosate to aminomethylphosphonic acid, mineralizing this accumulating intermediate during log growth. Th...

Endosulfan (6,7,8,9,10,10-hexachloro-1,5,5a,6,9,9a-hexahydro-6,9-methano-2,3,4-benzo-dioxathiepin-3-oxide) is a cyclodiene organochlorine currently used as an insecticide all over the world and its residues are posing a serious environmental threat. This study reports the isolation and identification of enriched microorganisms, capable of degrading endosulfan. Enrichment was achieved by using t...

Bacteria are key in the biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are widespread environmental pollutants. At least six genotypes of PAH degraders are distinguishable via phylogenies of the ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase (RHD) that initiates bacterial PAH metabolism. A given RHD genotype can be possessed by a variety of bacterial genera, suggesting horizontal gene transfer...

We performed an assay to assess the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) degradative capability and congener specificity of aerobic microorganisms. Microbial strains were isolated and separated from different types of soils in the Czech Republic, and their PCB-degrading abilities were compared. An industrial mixture of PCB congeners ranging from dichloro- to hexachlorobiphenyl and representing variou...

Hydrocarbon pollution is a perennial problem not only in India but throughout the globe. A plethora of microorganisms have been reported to be efficient degraders of these recalcitrant pollutants. One of the major concerns of environmental problem is the presence of hydrocarbons due to the various anthropogenic activities. PAHs are ubiquitous in nature i.e. present in soil, water and air. Prese...