Isolation and characterization of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria from Nsukka soils in Nigeria

Twenty-four bacteria capable of utilizing naphthalene, as their sole source of carbon and energy for growth were isolated from three different sites in Nsukka, Nigeria. By standard bacteriological methods, these bacteria were characterized taxonomically as belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, Burkholderia or Actinomycetes. Two of the isolates, which showed the highest growth during screening as demonstrated by an increase in their optical densities (OD₆₀₀) and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia respectively, were also able to grow in anthracene and carbazole, but not very much so in 2,4-dichlorophenol and D-camphor. The isolates showed a concentration-dependent growth in all the compounds they grew in. There were visible changes in the colour of the growth medium of the isolates during their incubation, suggesting the production of different metabolites. There were also changes in their medium pH during growth. These studies demonstrate the possession by the bacterial species of novel degradative systems.