Abstract

This study examines if employing various enzymatic complexes to speed up the bioremediation of hydrocarbon-polluted soils is feasible. These complexes were produced by undefined mixed microbial consortia that were isolated from three various oil-contaminated sites at an oil refinery. They were then enriched by regular aerobic cultivations using diesel hydrocarbons as the only carbon source. Extracellular proteins mixtures were created by the three microbial consortiums during laboratory batch diesel biodegradation tests and after separation from the biomass and residual substrate, the production of proteins and the enzymatic activity were each assessed. These consortia's enzymatic activity followed a qualitatively similar trajectory and peaked at the exponential phase of the typical bacterial growth curve.

Keywords: Catalysts, microbial, Oil-contaminated soils