Biodegradation of used motor oil by single and mixed cultures of cyanobacteria

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the potential of single and mixed cultures of Nostoc hatei and Synechocystis aquatilis in the biodegradation of 10% used motor oil. The rates of biodegradation of the oil were studied for a period of 21 days under laboratory conditions. Single cultures of N. hatei performed best in the biodegradation of the oil, showing dramatic reduction in total petroleum hydrocarbon with net loss of 13.0% within 14 days as compared to other treatments. First-order kinetic model revealed that N. hatei was the best microorganism in the biodegradation of used motor oil with biodegradation rate constant of 0.0667 day-1 and half-life of 10.39 days. The findings demonstrate the potential of cyanobacteria for oil bioremediation in the order: N. hatei > N. hatei + S. aquatilis > S. aquatilis.