Optimization of nutrient component for diesel oil degradation by Acinetobacter beijerinckii ZRS

A new bacterial strain that is capable of using diesel as the sole carbon source was isolated from the petroleum-contaminated soil of Xinjiang oil field, Northwest China. This bacterium was identified on the basis of its morphological and physiological characteristics and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, and it showed the greatest similarity with Acinetobacter beijerinckii 302-PWB-OH1 (99.86%). In order to enhance degradation efficiency, single-factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM) were employed to optimize the nutrients used in artificial seawater. The results of this study revealed that 2.05 g L−1 (NH4)2SO4, 1.46 g L−1 Na2HPO4, and 14 mg L−1 yeast extract in artificial seawater resulted in increasing the diesel degradation rate of the bacterial strain from 20.87% to 80.40% within 7 days. The actual experimental results were in agreement with the prediction.