Biotechnology Letters, Vol.18, No.1, 111-116, 1996
Mode of Action of an Oleophilic Nutrient in Enhancing C-14 Hexadecane Mineralization by a Marine Bacterial Community
Hexadecane mineralization by a bacterial consortium isolated from a non heavily contaminated coastal seawater was largely increased by an enrichment with Inipol EAP 22 (10% w/w). In the conditions of the experiment, the efficiency of this oleophilic nutrient is linked to the organic N and P sources (urea and lauryl-phosphate) and, to a lesser extent, to the presence of a readily available carbon source (oleic acid). Otherwise, the micro emulsion nature of the formulation and its physical properties seem to play a major role in accelerating hexadecane mineralization.