Autochthonous microbial tool for in situ degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons

Autochthonous aerobic heterotrophic microbial cultures PH03 and PH17, isolated from soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons, show the ability to adapt to various environmental conditions, making them valuable tools for in situ bioremediation. Identification of isolates PH03 and PH17 was performed using standardised microbiological techniques, biochemical tests, and protein composition analysis. The isolates are cultivated in conventional microbial media, making them economically viable, and their autochthonous origin further adapts them for use in real environmental conditions. Bioaugmentation with isolates PH03 and PH17 at 0.052 g/kg achieved degradation of 42.6% and 37.1% of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and 92.9% and 94.2% of the C15–C30 fraction, with high viability of the microbial population up to 9.73 log CFU/g. Isolates PH03 and PH17, due to their exceptional metabolic flexibility, can withstand a wide range of temperatures.