Efficiency of Some Egyptian Soil Fungi in Biodegradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbon

Abstract

Discharge pollutants from refinery of crude oil consider one of the critical problems to the environment due to impact of which on the human health and ecosystem. Currently the biological control to remove hazardous from environment is successful process due to it being a safe way to enhance a healthy environment and also with low cost. The data contained in this study shows that all the fungal species were capable of degrading the crude oil in varying degrees. Total of three genera represented by seven species have been reported from soil heavily contaminated by petroleum oil. Out of seven isolates, only Aspergillus flavus, A. niger and Absidia corymbifera were able to biodegraded oil from a higher concentration to below detectable limit changing Czapek's broth color from deep blue to colorless. The higher crude oil biodegradation efficiency was exhibited by Absidia corymbifera compared with other species, nevertheless fungal species isolated from contaminated soil can be exploited in the bioremediation of crude oil to remove petroleum hydrocarbon from contaminated environments.