Abstract

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Crude oil pollution is sine qua non in oil exploration and exploitation activities. Biosurfactant increases bioavailability and help to enhance contact between the pollutants and the microorganisms and therefore facilitates uptake and degradation as well as amelioration (remediation) of hydrocarbon polluted environment. Biosurfactant is preferred to chemical surfactant in crude oil remediation. The study focus on screening and identification of biosurfactant-producing bacteria from crude oil contaminated Soil and water in the Niger Delta area, Nigeria. Water and soil/sediments from three communities, namely, Eleme, Omoku and Ogbia in the Niger Delta Area Nigeria was screened for biosurfactant-producing bacteria. Haemolytic activity, emulsification capacity and oil spread were used as index in the screening of biosurfactant-producing bacteria. Crude oil utilizing bacteria isolated from the water and soil/sediments in the three oil producing communities were identified by vapour phase method. Identification was done by 16s rRNA sequence from the isolates that produced highly similar sequences from the NCBI non redundant nucleotide (nr/nt) database. The sequenced isolates were, Alcaligenes faecalis, Bacillus altitudinsis, Bacillus siamensis, Bacillus velezensis, Cytobacillus horneckiae, Enterobacter roggenkampii, Morganella morganii, Providencia stuartii, Priestia flexa, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Six isolates representing 60% of the total isolates have potentials for biosurfactant production. Providencia stuartii, Alcaligenes faecalis, Bacillus altitudinis, Bacillus siamensis and Bacillus velezensis are novel isolates for biosurfactant production in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The Bacillus species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed higher activities in crude oil degradation and biosurfactant production. Pseudomonas aeruginosa produce glycolipid type of biosurfactant used in bioremediation of oil sludge contaminated soils. The Niger Delta remains a potential reservoir for biosurfactant-producing bacteria with relevant biomarker genes that may prove significant in environmentally friendly clean up in the Niger Delta Area.

Keywords: Biosurfactant production, bacteria, water, soil/sediments