In this study, we investigated the use of indigenous bacterial species from contaminated site to degrade kerosene. The method of continual enrichment on kerosene, yielded bacterial isolates with potential of utilizing kerosene as growth substrates. The time course studies monitored by the optical density (OD) and pH fluxes of the pure cultures in varying concentrations of kerosene resulted in exponential increase in cell numbers and decline in the pH values. From the morphological and biochemical characterization and comparison with respect to the standard references, the isolates were presumably the members of the genera Rhodococcus Bacillus and Aerobacter species. All the strains readily utilized the kerosene as sole sources of carbon and energy.
Key Words: kerosene, degradation, enrichment, optical density, pH