MORPHOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BACTERIAL ISOLATES DEGRADING CRUDE-OIL

A mixed bacterial culture developed by soil enrichment procedure using crude oil as a substrate was screened for individual bacterial specie s. Studies on morphological and biochemical characterization of eleven dominant bacterial isolates revealed that most of the cultures were g ram-negative motile rods, and were catalase and oxidase positive. It w as observed that four bacterial isolates were efficient in degrading p ure hydrocarbons, ''model petroleum'' and crude oil. Identification of dominant bacterial cultures confirmed the isolates as Pseudomonas stu tzeri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas fluores cens.