Biodegradation of waste motor oil by Nostoc hatei strain TISTR 8405 in water containing heavy metals and nutrients as co-contaminants

Waste motor oil biodegradation potential of the strain TISTR 8405 was examined under various conditions. The strain TISTR 8405 grew well with waste motor oil and showed satisfactory biodegradability at all concentrations applied (0.5-4.0%, in v/v). Moreover, it adapted quickly to pH changes, showing good growth ability and biodegradability at wide pH intervals (4.0-9.0). Addition of PO43− and NO3− caused a stimulatory effect on growth and biodegradation efficiency. By contrast, all the studied metals and NH4+ were observed to produce a strong inhibitory effect. GC-MS analyses indicated that the strain TISTR 8405 could transform or degrade aliphatic and aromatic compounds.