DEGRADATION OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS USING AN AGRICULTURAL MICROBIOME

Abstract

In this study, the degradation capacity of a microbiome extracted from an agricultural soil in the Mexican southeastern area contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons was researched as a bioremediation method. Samples of contaminated water were prepared with commercial diesel and light petroleum of 30°API. The samples were inoculated with the growing microbiome, and the concentration of hydrocarbons by gas chromatography (GC-FID), spectroscopy UV-vis and IR-ATR, microbial growth by count on a sheet was analyzed. Degradation efficiencies of 95 % were obtained for the water samples contaminated with petroleum and 98 % for the samples of water contaminated with diesel.