Biodegradation of n-Hexadecane in Acinetobacter Radioresistens Liquid Culture

Diesel oil hydrocarbons are the most common contaminants of our biological environment. Considering the fact that Iran is one of the major producers of diesel oil products, it greatly contributes to soil and water pollution. Currently, soil and water pollutions caused by diesel oil products leakage, from distribution stations, is one of the major concerns in Iran. Based on the studies performed in this regard, soil and water pollutions have also been reported around the refineries and transmission lines in Iran. Thus, the present research aimed to study the effectiveness of using Acinetobacter Radioresistens in removing n-Hexadecane (n-HXD) from polluted waters. In this research, n-HXD (C16H34) was selected as the representative of diesel oil hydrocarbons. Hence, the bacterium Acinetobacter Radioresistens was chosen to remove this compound from the polluted water. According to the results, the total n-HXD removal rates were 57.2, 87.35, and 91.33 in 10, 20, and 30 days, respectively. The initial concentration was 9615 mg/l. The biological (Acinetobacter Radioresistens) removal rates were 35.51, 49.45, and 51.6%, while the non-biological rates were 21.68, 37.9, and 39.73% in 10, 20, and 30 days, respectively. Our results suggested that in the warm weather and salty soil of Iran, normal n-HXD can be removed from the polluted waters through localized bacterial usage, especially Acinetobacter Radioresistens.