BACTERIAL SURVIVAL AND N-ALKANE DEGRADATION WITHIN OMANI CRUDE-OIL AND A MOUSSE

A mixed community of eight bacteria able to degrade crude oil was isol ated from contaminated sands around the Gulf of Oman. When the communi ty was introduced into 50% oil-water mousse, it demonstrated longterm survival of one isolate identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In 50 an d 75% oil-water mousse, cfu's of P. aeruginosa remained at the same le vels over 60 days, but a 90% oil-water mixture failed to form a mousse and by day 10 there was no bacterial survival. Respirometry comparing oxygen uptake of P. aeruginosa from a 75% mousse with the same bacter ia grown in a nutrient broth gave higher oxidation and greater reducti on of n-alkanes for the former, when both were grown on crude oil. The significance of environmental adaptations of bacteria and the reducti on of specific alkanes by a single bacterial species are discussed bri efly.