Role of microbes in petroleum hydrocarbon degradation in the aquatic environment: A review.

Abstract

The phenomenon of the oil spill in the marine ecosystem is one of the major issues which causes the introduction of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants and leads to a significant threat to the environment. It can occur either naturally or from anthropogenic sources such as those caused by tanker accidents, refineries, drilling operations, or even storage facilities. This causes significant damage to both the habitat and the organisms living in the marine environment. Bioremediation by oil-degrading microorganisms is a viable option to metabolize and remove these harmful pollutants from the polluted site. Oil degrading microorganisms are ubiquitously distributed in the environment and naturally biodegrade petroleum hydrocarbon. This review highlights the mechanism of microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by enzyme catalytic activities of microorganisms to increase the rate of petroleum hydrocarbon degradation. It also highlights the factors that affect the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by the microorganisms.