Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by bioflocculant-producing microorganisms of the aquatic ecosystems in the Arctic region

Currently it is not feasible to completely eliminate the contamination of water bodies with oil, which makes it relevant to perform activities aimed at addressing this environmental challenge. Biological method of cleaning water could be recognized as an effective means of environmental protection. Increasingly, bioremediation uses indigenous microorganisms of specific contamination sites, since these organisms are adapted to the prevailing climatic and environmental conditions, which confers the advantages. Consequently, studies aimed at isolation and selection of the most active microorganisms oxidizing petroleum hydrocarbons and capable of using them are particularly relevant. The aim of this study is the search and selection of effective microorganisms-degraders of petroleum, maximally adapted to the conditions of the Far North. In this study, hydrocarbon-oxidizing features of indigenous bacteria in the Arctic region were examined, and the most effective strains for devising the bioremediation agents were selected. In all strains of bacteria tested that demonstrated steady and intensive growth in the medium with diesel fuel the following characteristics were studied: the percentage of oil degradation in the conditions of laboratory model experiments, the indicator of hydrophobic indicator, and growth potential as well. Strains of microorganisms with the highest degrading ability were selected: A. eucrenophyla, Ps.lundensis, Ps. fragi. These bacterial strains are promising as biodecomposers of hydrocarbons and can be used in bioremediation of environmental contamination. Bacteria from the isolated strains are persistent and dominant components of the natural aquatic ecological communities, thereby the necessity of taking into account the climatic conditions of the region could be avoided.