Abstract
The present study integrated the electrokinetic (EK) with bioremediation (Bioelectrokinetic -BEK) of diesel hydrocarbon by Staphylococcus epidermidis EVR4. It was identified as efficient biosurfactant producing bacteria and growth parameters was optimized using response surface methodology. Upon degradation, there is a complete disappearance of peaks from nonane (C9) to tricosane (C23) and 85%, 47% of degradation of pentacosane and octacosane respectively. Marine bacterial strain, EVR4 was found to be potential to degrade the diesel with a maximum degradation efficiency of 96% within 4 d, which was due to its synergistic role of biosurfactant and catabolic enzymes (dehydrogenase, catalase and cytochrome C). The application of integrated BEK was an effective insitu method for the remediation of diesel contaminated soil by BEK (84%) than EK (67%). EVR4 as an effective strain can be employed for BIO-EK method to clean the diesel hydrocarbon polluted environment.
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•Staphylococcus epidermidis EVR4 identified as efficient biosurfactant producing bacteria•EVR4 degrades the nonane (C9) to tricosane (C23) completely and 85% and 47% of pentacosane and octacosane respectively•EVR4 was found to degrade the diesel with a maximum degradation efficiency of 96% within 4 days•The degradation efficiency was due to the synergistic role of biosurfactant and catabolic enzymes