title: Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by indigenous mixed and pure cultures isolated from coastal sediments.
abstract: The goal of this paper was to quantify and characterize microorganisms (bacteria) in sediment samples contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs: fluorene and naphthalene). The isolated organisms were evaluated for their ability to degrade PAHs compounds. The results indicated that the total number of recovered heterotrophic colony forming units was higher than zone forming units produced by the PAHs compounds. There was a relationship between the biomass of the bacteria recovered from the sediment and the degradation of the compounds. This indicated the utilization of the compounds by the bacteria as a carbon source. Two bacterial species were isolated from the contaminated sediments and identified as Pseudomonas sp. and Ochrobactrum sp.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Alabama A&M University, P.O. Box 14004, Huntsville, AL 35815, USA.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Tadros
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hughes