African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 6 (7), pp. 897-901, 2 April 2007   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2007 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Aerobic dehalogenation activities of two petroleum degrading bacteria

¹*Igbinosa O. Etinosa, ²Ajisebutu  O. Stella and ¹Okoh I. Anthony

¹Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice, 5700 South Africa.

² Department of Microbiology Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: ogbomoede@yahoo.co.uk. Tel: +2348028319562.

Accepted 31 January, 2007

Two petroleum degrading bacteria were screened for 2,4-dichlorophenyacetic acid (2,4-D) degrading abilities and assessed for their dechlorination potentials. The bacterial isolates were previously identified to be Corynebacterium sp. (SOGU16) and Achromobacter sp. (SOGU11). Axenic cultures of the isolates metabolise 2,4-D as the sole source of carbon and energy. The optimum pH for dioxygenase specific activities was between 7.6 and 8.0 and the optimum temperature was between 30 and 35°C. The cell-free extracts of the cultures in the 2,4-D demonstrated biological degradation of the 2,4-D compound. The observations made in this study are sufficient to conclude that the isolates obtained have reasonable potentials for application in bioremediation of both petroleum and 2, 4-D contaminated sites.

Key words: 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic, bioremediation, petroleum degraders.