Bioremediation of crude oil polluted seawater by a hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial strain immobilized on chitin and chitosan flakes

ALEJANDRO R. GENTILI; MARÍA A. CUBITTO; MARCELA FERRERO; MARÍA S. RODRIGUEZ

INTERNATIONAL BIODETERIORATION & BIODEGRADATION

Elsevier

Año: 2006 vol. 57 p. 222 - 228

0964-8305

In this laboratory-scale study, we examined the potential of chitin and chitosan akes obtained from shrimp wastes as carrier material for a hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial strain. Flakes decontamination, immobilization conditions and the survival of the immobilized bacterial strain under different storage temperatures were evaluated. The potential of immobilized hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial strain for crude oil polluted seawater bioremediation wastestedin seawater microcosms. In terms of removal percentage of crude oil after 15 days, the microcosm streated with the immobilized inoculants proved to be the most successful. The inoculants formulated with chitin and chitosan as carrier materials improved the survival and the activity of the immobilized strain. It is important to emphasize that the inoculants formulated with chitin showed the best performance during storage and seawater bioremediation.