ABSTRACT
The presence of mixed contaminants, such as BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers) can affect the biodegradation, fate and environmental impacts of each compound. To understand the influence of interactions among BTEX compounds on their biodegradation, four bacteria were isolated from oil-contaminated soil and assayed for BTEX biodegradation in vitro. The isolate exhibiting maximum biodegradation was identified as Pseudomonas putida based on the 16S rDNA sequence. The biodegradation of the BTEX compounds was greatly influenced by pH, temperature, and salinity. Substrate mixture studies (binary, tertiary and quaternary) revealed that the presence of toluene increased the biodegradation rate of benzene, ethylbenzene, and xylene.
