Toluene Biodegradation by Novel Bacteria Isolated from Polluted Soil Surrounding Car Body Repair and Spray Painting Workshops

Toluene can enter the environment due to various industrial activities. Toluene exposure may cause serious health risks to human and other living organisms. Thus, removal of toluene from the environment is exceptionally important in toluene-contaminated habitats. The aim of present study was to isol...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental protection (Irvine, Calif.) Calif.), 2015-12, Vol.6 (12), p.1417-1429
Main Authors: Jacob, Jacob H., Irshaid, Fawzi I.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
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Summary:Toluene can enter the environment due to various industrial activities. Toluene exposure may cause serious health risks to human and other living organisms. Thus, removal of toluene from the environment is exceptionally important in toluene-contaminated habitats. The aim of present study was to isolate and characterize toluene-utilizing bacteria from contaminated soil surrounding car body repair and painting workshops in Irbid industrial city, Jordan. After testing different physicochemical conditions, the isolates appeared to grow best at 1% toluene, 30 degrees C and pH 6.8, with the generation times ranged between 8-11 h. In conclusion, the authors reported for the first time the identification of four novel soil bacterial species with the capacity to utilize toluene as sole source of carbon and energy from soil sites surrounding car painting workshops. The beneficial effect of the four isolates in the bioremediation of toluene from toluene polluted soil areas must be examined under in situ and ex situ conditions.
ISSN:2152-2197
2152-2219
DOI:10.4236/jep.2015.612123