Efficiency of BTX degrader isolated from industrial waste water

Benzene, toluene and xylene are the major pollutants in the petroleum industry leads to global concern due to toxicity. Isolating microorganisms which are acquainted polluted sites would be meaningful to eliminate the BTX completely. Among various bacterial isolates Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus sterothermophilus, Flavobacterium haparinum, Sphingomonas aromaricivorans, Burkholderica cepacia, Micrococcus, Alcaligenes, and Aeromonas, known to be common in all the sites. Among these Pseudomonas putida Species found to be predominant in all the samples and degrading BTX to a greater extent. Among the various organisms used P. putida was able to degrade the maximum amount of 0.52mg/l/hr benzene when these substrates were used as single substrate. But toluene and xylene were degraded at the value of 0.42 mg/l/hr and 0.30 mg/l/hr respectively. There was a slight increase in the rate of degradation when these substrates used as dual mixer (BT, TX and BX). The BT was removed at 0.45 mg/l/hr and 0.60mg/l/hr respectively. It was also different when they were used as mixed substrates (0.4mg/l/hr, 0.5mg/l/hr and 0.21mg/l/hr of benzene, toluene and xylene respectively). Exceptionally the maximum of 0.72mg/l/hr of toluene was degraded by Micrococcus lutes when it was used as dual substrate with benzene.