Biosurfactants as Bioremediation Tools Isolated from Bacteria Found in Industrial Wastewaters of the Kakuri Drain Kaduna, Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Biosurfactants are chemical substances produced in living spaces or excreted extracellular hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties that confer on the organism the ability to accumulate between fluid phases thus reducing surface and interfacial tension. Biosurfactants are produced by several microorganisms which include Bacillus sp., Candida antactica, Acinetobacter and Psudomonas aeruginosa. The physiological role of biosurfactant production in microorganisms include among others, the ability to make substrates readily available for uptake by the cells in adverse environmental conditions. Biosurfactant applications in the environmental industries are promising due to their biodegradability, low toxicity, and effectiveness in enhancing biodegradation and solubilization of low solubility compounds. Bacterial strains isolated from the Kakuri drain expressed high Liquid Surface Tension Reducing Activity (LSTRA).Strains were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the API20E Kit. Strain Ali31 (P.aeruginosa) recorded a mean surface tension of 29.033mN/m, while the lowest surface tension recorded amongst the strains was 28.840mN/m by strain Ali13 (P.aeruginosa).The model strain recorded a mean of 57.979mN/m. Several factors however influence biosurfactant production, such as nature of carbon source, temperature, pH and aeration.