Surfactant effects on biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of different surfactant type on biodegradation of low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (naphthalene and anthracene) in aqueous media by bacterial strain isolated from crude oil-contaminated soil in southern of Algeria. The biodegradative ability of the strain tested was determined by measuring OD 600 and the residual PAH concentration by UV-Vis and GC. The results indicated that 1C strain could degrade both naphthalene and anthracene without addition of surfactants; the degradation rate of PAHs was decreased when surfactants were added. The higher bacterial growth observed in the presence of Tween 80 could be due to the fact that this surfactant can be used as an additional carbon source by 1C strain.