Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

, Volume 39, Issue 1, pp 123–126 | Cite as

High-temperature hydrocarbon degradation by Bacillus stearothermophilus from oil-polluted Kuwaiti desert

  • N. A. Sorkhoh
  • A. S. Ibrahim
  • M. A. Ghannoum
  • S. S. Radwan
Environmental Biotechnology
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Kuwaiti desert samples contaminated with crude oil contained Bacillus stearothermophilus strains capable of growth on crude oil as a sole source of carbon and energy, obligately at high temperature. No thermophilic oil utilizers were present in water samples collected from the Arabian Gulf. Most of the desert strains had an optimum temperature of 60°C and grew best on pentadecane (C15), hexadecane (C16) and heptadecane (C17). n-Alkanes with shorter and longer chains, n-alkenes, and aromatic hydrocarbons were less readily utilized.

Keywords

Hydrocarbon Water Sample Bacillus Aromatic Hydrocarbon Hexadecane 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1993

Authors and Affiliations

  • N. A. Sorkhoh
    • 1
  • A. S. Ibrahim
    • 2
  • M. A. Ghannoum
    • 2
  • S. S. Radwan
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Botany and MicrobiologyUniversity of KuwaitSafatKuwait
  2. 2.Division of Infectious DiseasesUCLA HarbourTorranceUSA

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