Relationship Between Cell Surface Hydrophobicity and Degradation of Hexadecane

Abstract

Some properties of compounds in degrading bacteria are required for biodegradation of contaminants to higher performance. Those strains which have a high percentage of these features are more effective at biodegradation. The present experiments were designed to measure these parameters. In this study, measurement of cell surface hydrophobic-degrading bacteria was designed which oil was separated from contaminated soils. Hydrophobic cell surface helps to binding bacteria to hydrocarbons which most of them are hydrophobic. In this experiment, the optical density was measured before and after addition of hexadecane at 600 nm. The highest percentage of Cell surface hydrophobicity (BATH%) of strains were 27,32,24 and 29 by <em>Rhodococcus, Achromobacter, Stenotrophomonas </em>and <em>Tsukamurella</em>, respectively and the growths of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria in hexadecane (1%) contain 1.9, 1.85, 1.4 and 1.12, respectively. It shows that whit increasing the amount of hydrophobic cell levels; consequently, the amount of hexadecane degradation will increase.