Chemical, physical, and thermal strategies are available but these methods are very
costly and require site recovery. Several physicochemical and biological methods
have been assessed for treating oil-contaminated environments (Ezeji et al. 2007).
Organic treatment is desired for physicochemical strategies for reasons of its feasibility, reliability, and capability to achieve high elimination efficiency with low
price. Other reasons include the simplicity of its low-power layout, creation, operation, and use; biodegradation of hydrocarbons is a cost-effective method compared
to chemical methods (Liu et al. 2013). In a biological technique, microorganisms can
use hydrocarbons as their sole energy and carbon source and degrade them instead of
gathering them at every other level (Zhang et al. 2015). Biological treatment may
have an advantage over physicochemical treatment in the removal of spills because it
affords crucial biodegradation of oil parts through microorganisms, is a “green”
alternative for treating risky contaminants without environmentally degrading
effects, and may be cheaper than other strategies (Zhang et al. 2011). Diverse
microorganisms, including bacteria, algae, yeasts, and fungi, can degrade hydrocarbons. Indigenous microorganisms with particular metabolic capacities have a considerable role in the biodegradation of crude oil (Rahman et al. 2003). Rahman et al.
(2002) suggested that bacterial consortia isolated from crude oil-infected soils have
the potential to degrade crude oil fractions. In addition to bacteria, fungi are one of
the best oil-degrading organisms. Numerous studies have identified many fungal
species able to use crude oil as their sole source of energy, including
Cephalosporium, Rhizopus, Paecilomyces, Torulopsis, Pleurotus, Alternaria,
Mucor, Talaromyces, Gliocladium, Fusarium, Rhodotorula, Cladosporium,
Geotrichum, Aspergillus, and Penicillium (Jawhari 2014). Hanafy et al. (2017)
observed that the Aspergillus and Penicillium isolated from oil-contaminated sites
close to the Red Sea within the Yanbu region have been extremely useful in crude oil
degradation. Using fungi as a means of bioremediation gives a powerful alternative
for cleansing the environment of contaminants (Hanafy et al. 2017). Data are shown
in Table 10.2.
10.2.3 Biodegradation of Oil and Petroleum by Algae
Natural contamination has been stated to be the most significant issue affecting the
world (Reyes et al. 2016). One of the main causes of environmental pollution is
hydrocarbon contamination in soil and water (El-Sheekh et al. 2013). Unrefined
petroleum, also called dark gold, is the most significant asset in industrialized
nations; however, its handling and transport can cause genuine ecological contamination and interfere with many populations of organisms (Xaaldi et al. 2017). Many
recorded data attest to the real genuine harm brought about by oil slicks in ecosystems and to marine creatures, silt, higher-level organisms, fish, coral reefs, avian
species, reptiles, and surface water bodies (Afshar-Mohajer et al. 2018). When oil is
spilled in the ocean or other waterways, it creates a film that decreases the proportion
of daylight reaching the underwater world, which affects the process of
10 Microbes: A Novel Source of Bioremediation for Degradation of Hydrocarbons
253
costly and require site recovery. Several physicochemical and biological methods
have been assessed for treating oil-contaminated environments (Ezeji et al. 2007).
Organic treatment is desired for physicochemical strategies for reasons of its feasibility, reliability, and capability to achieve high elimination efficiency with low
price. Other reasons include the simplicity of its low-power layout, creation, operation, and use; biodegradation of hydrocarbons is a cost-effective method compared
to chemical methods (Liu et al. 2013). In a biological technique, microorganisms can
use hydrocarbons as their sole energy and carbon source and degrade them instead of
gathering them at every other level (Zhang et al. 2015). Biological treatment may
have an advantage over physicochemical treatment in the removal of spills because it
affords crucial biodegradation of oil parts through microorganisms, is a “green”
alternative for treating risky contaminants without environmentally degrading
effects, and may be cheaper than other strategies (Zhang et al. 2011). Diverse
microorganisms, including bacteria, algae, yeasts, and fungi, can degrade hydrocarbons. Indigenous microorganisms with particular metabolic capacities have a considerable role in the biodegradation of crude oil (Rahman et al. 2003). Rahman et al.
(2002) suggested that bacterial consortia isolated from crude oil-infected soils have
the potential to degrade crude oil fractions. In addition to bacteria, fungi are one of
the best oil-degrading organisms. Numerous studies have identified many fungal
species able to use crude oil as their sole source of energy, including
Cephalosporium, Rhizopus, Paecilomyces, Torulopsis, Pleurotus, Alternaria,
Mucor, Talaromyces, Gliocladium, Fusarium, Rhodotorula, Cladosporium,
Geotrichum, Aspergillus, and Penicillium (Jawhari 2014). Hanafy et al. (2017)
observed that the Aspergillus and Penicillium isolated from oil-contaminated sites
close to the Red Sea within the Yanbu region have been extremely useful in crude oil
degradation. Using fungi as a means of bioremediation gives a powerful alternative
for cleansing the environment of contaminants (Hanafy et al. 2017). Data are shown
in Table 10.2.
10.2.3 Biodegradation of Oil and Petroleum by Algae
Natural contamination has been stated to be the most significant issue affecting the
world (Reyes et al. 2016). One of the main causes of environmental pollution is
hydrocarbon contamination in soil and water (El-Sheekh et al. 2013). Unrefined
petroleum, also called dark gold, is the most significant asset in industrialized
nations; however, its handling and transport can cause genuine ecological contamination and interfere with many populations of organisms (Xaaldi et al. 2017). Many
recorded data attest to the real genuine harm brought about by oil slicks in ecosystems and to marine creatures, silt, higher-level organisms, fish, coral reefs, avian
species, reptiles, and surface water bodies (Afshar-Mohajer et al. 2018). When oil is
spilled in the ocean or other waterways, it creates a film that decreases the proportion
of daylight reaching the underwater world, which affects the process of
10 Microbes: A Novel Source of Bioremediation for Degradation of Hydrocarbons
253