Degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by a bacterial consortium

Bioremediation is a technology that has been proven to be effective in decontaminating environments polluted with toxic compounds, such as petroleum hydrocarbons. However, the success of this biotechnology requires that microorganisms metabolically capable of utilising the pollutants as a source of carbon and energy have access to these compounds, and that ideal environmental conditions are established for the growth and maintenance of microbial populations. In this book, we evaluate the efficiency of petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation in culture media by bacterial isolates, in pure cultures and in consortia, and subsequently assess the population dynamics of the bacterial consortium and the degradation profile of petroleum hydrocarbons (C12-C22) in soil contaminated with diesel oil, in response to temperature, humidity and nutrient availability.