title: High-temperature hydrocarbon biodegradation activities in Kuwaiti desert soil samples.
abstract: Soil samples taken monthly from the Burgan South oil field of Kuwait for one year degraded crude oil, phenanthrene, and hexadecane. Bacteria were better degraders at high-temperature (55 degrees C) than fungi, especially in the drier, hotter months. Depending on the period of sampling, bacteria degraded hydrocarbons in the range of 46-86% (crude oil), 42-100% (hexadecane) and 5-58% (phenanthrene). Fungi alone accounted for degradation by 20-81% (crude oil), 30-95% (hexadecane) and less than 55% (phenanthrene).
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Division, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, Safat 13060, Kuwait.
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Obuekwe
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hourani
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Radwan
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003889:Desert Climate; D005658:Fungi / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D007730:Kuwait; D010578:Petroleum / Q000378:metabolism*; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000378:metabolism; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D010578:Petroleum; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D012989:Soil Pollutants; C031181:phenanthrene; C007932:n-hexadecane