Isolation and Identification of Three-Rings Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (Anthracene and Phenanthrene) Degrading Bacteria

Abstract

Abstract: There are many industrial areas which produce large amount of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Egypt which represent severe hazards effects on the ambient environment. Bacterial strains were isolated from different contaminated sites in middle delta, Egypt and screened for PAHs degradation. Enrich media was used to isolate the anthracene and phenanthrene degrading bacteria. Fourteen bacterial isolates showed high degradation for both anthracene and phenantherene. For genotyping, these isolates were subjected to RAPD-PCR using four different primers. The data showed that the fourteen isolates were not related to each other. Only four isolates showed the highest ability for degradation were subjected to 16S rDNA sequence for identification. Partial sequence of 16S rDNA revealed that these isolates were Escherichia coli (EF105548), Soil bacterium (EF105549). Alcaligenes sp. (EF105546) and Thiobacter subterraneus (EF105547).The average degradation rates of anthracene by Escherichia coli (EF105548), Soil bacterium (EF105549), Alcaligenes sp. (EF105546) and Thiobacter subterraneus (EF105547) were 28.57, 30.19, 26.5875 and 32.11%, while those of phenanthrene were 42.45, 48.44, 34.35 and 40.45 % for these strains, respectively. Key words:PAHs Anthracene Phenanthrene RAPD-PCR 16S rDNA E. coli Soil bacterium Alcaligenes sp. Thiobacter subterraneus INTRODUCTION organic compounds with two or more fused aromatic rings