Amycolatopsis sp. Poz14 isolated from oil-contaminated soil degrades polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

•Amycolatopsis sp. Poz14 was isolated from a historically petroleum-contaminated soil.•Amycolatopsis sp. Poz14 tolerated up to 200 mg L−1 of LMW and HMW-PAHs as the sole carbon and energy sources.•Amycolatopsis sp. Poz14 exhibited high degradation percentages for LMW-PAH than HMW-PAH within 45-day.•Degradation efficiency of PAHs by Amycolatopsis sp. Poz14 improved by adding tween 20.•Amycolatopsis sp. Poz14 exhibited better degradation efficiencies in binary mixtures than those achieved in single PAH.

The main actinobacterial genera able to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) include Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Rhodococcus, and Gordonia. However, it is unknown if other actinobacterial genera can degrade PAHs. In this work, three actinobacteria strains that utilize PAHs as the sole source of carbon and energy, were isolate and termed Amycolatopsis sp. Poz14, Gordonia sp. Poz20, and Rhodococcus sp. Poz54. The strains use low-molecular-weight (LMW; naphthalene and anthracene) and high-molecular-weight (HMW; pyrene and fluoranthene) PAHs at 50 mg L−1 as the sole carbon and energy sources; except Amycolatopsis sp. Poz14 which tolerate up to 200 mg L−1. Amycolatopsis sp. Poz14 exhibited higher degradation percentages for LMW-PAH than HMW-PAH, from 100% for naphthalene, 37.87% for anthracene, 25.10% for pyrene, and 18.18% for fluoranthene within 45-day. Degradation efficiency of PAHs by Amycolatopsis sp. Poz14 improved by adding tween 20 to 1000 mg L−1. Moreover, degradation kinetics of binary mixtures of PAHs were conducted, Amycolatopsis sp. Poz14 used both PAHs from the beginning of the kinetics, and degradation efficiencies in binary mixtures were better than those achieved in single PAH. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report involving to genus Amycolatopsis in the degradation of LMW- and HMW-PAHs.