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the nmost oil degradation? Does this correlate with the number of ol degrading c

ID: 262820 • Letter: T

Question

the nmost oil degradation? Does this correlate with the number of ol degrading colonies? peo Cyude ol Propose an explanation. Questions 1. Sands from Pensacola Beach, FL were tested for oil-degrading bacteria after the Deepwater Hori- zon well blowout (April 2010). Explain these data. MPN/100 g MaySeptember 24x 10 24x 10 2. Some bacteria make surfactants that emulsify hydrocarbons. What is a surfactant? Does this degrade the hydrocarbon? 3. Show beta-oxidation of the following hydrocarbon: HHH ?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-? 4. Here are the formulas of two detergents that have been manufactured. Which of these would be readily degraded by bacteria? Why? -C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C- LL1 5. How could the oil-degrading bacteria you isolated be used to clean up an oil spill or remove a grease spot on your clothes? 6. Design an experiment to isolate mercury-utilizing bacteria from soil.

Explanation / Answer

1. Accidental release of oil into the ocean occurred as a result of the blow out of deep water horizon, an oil-drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil from the explosion also reached Pensacola beaches.

Oil began to reach ashore at the beach in early June and microbial bloom was observed approximately after 4 weeks of the initial event. The native microbial population in beach sands responds fairly to the oil pollution, metabolizing oil to support its growth rate. The hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria which naturally propagates, flourish well in an environment rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. Moreover, environmental parameters like optimal temperature, oil hydrocarbon content, availability of oxygen, weathering of oil etc. are the other favorable factors that may result in the bloom. This explains the increase in most probable number (MPN) of bacteria from May to June.

2. Biodegradation is a process by which microorganisms chemically dissolves or disintegrate materials. Hydrocarbon-degrading activities of certain microbes help in cleaning up of oil spills in seas. Some of these hydrocarbon-degrading microbes can produce surfactants to increase bioavailability and degradation by emulsifying the hydrocarbons.

Surfactants are substances that tend to reduce the surface tension of liquid in which it is dissolved. Surfactants are active ingredients found in soap and detergents. Surfactants enhance the emulsification of hydrocarbons and solubilize hydrocarbon contaminants. It can be used in enhanced oil recovery. Surfactants produced by microbes are termed as biosurfactants.

Surfactants have the ability to degrade hydrocarbons.