Characterization of Hydrocarbon-Utilizing Indigenous Bacterial Species Isolated from Crude Oil-Contaminated Soil in Sudan

POLLUTANTS in the soil can have serious environmental and health consequences in the surrounding. Soil pollution caused by mining, transportation, and petroleum, particularly oil, is a major problem in the twenty-first century because of the harmful repercussions. Oil contamination, primarily caused by petroleum oil, poses a significant global issue causing bacteria to thrive in oil-contaminated environments. A study isolated fourteen culturable strains of oil-utilising bacteria from pumping stations in Khartoum, Sudan, using enrichment culture techniques. These isolates were isolated from the soil contaminated with crude oil for initial identification. Morphological and biochemical analysis of pure cultures of bacterial isolates revealed that the isolates belong to 9 well known oil-degrading bacterial genera viz. Bacillus, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Kocuria, Micrococcus, and Staphylococcus from 3 orders and 3 classes within three phyla (Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria). The growth rate of isolates in MSM containing crude oil was assessed using an Apel spectrophotometer model PD-303 at OD620. Five bacterial strains identified as Kocuria sp. (Isolate No 14; PS2), Bacillus lentus (Isolate No 13; PS1), Citrobacter diversus (Isolate No 12; PS2), Bacillus mycoides (Isolate No 11; PS1), and Bacillus sp (Isolate No 10; PS1) capable of utilising hydrocarbons were selected to construct a consortium for further study. The findings of this study showed that isolates from seven genera found in the contaminated sites had exceptional potential for use in biotechnological processes like hydrocarbon-polluted site bioremediation. These isolates will also help to maintain a sustainable environment. As a result, this study indicated that these bacteria could have promising applications in hydrocarbon bioremediation.