Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in Colombia: systematic review

• Published in: Biodegradation (Dordrecht) Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 99 - 116
• Main Authors: Rache-Arce, Diana Carolina, Machacado-Salas, Maryuris, Rosero-García, Doris
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-04-2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Bacillus; Bacteria; Biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Colombia; Environmental degradation; Geochemistry; Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria; Hydrocarbons; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Petroleum; Petroleum hydrocarbons; Petroleum industry; Pollutants; Pollution; Pollution control; Pollution levels; Pseudomonas; Review Paper; Sediment pollution; Sediments; Soil Science & Conservation; Systematic review; Terrestrial Pollution; Waste Management/Waste Technology; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Colombia; Degradation; Hydrocarbons; Colombia; Bacteria
• ISSN: 0923-9820; 1572-9729
• DOI: 10.1007/s10532-022-09976-z

Petroleum industry activities worldwide have caused pollution and resulted in environmental degradation. Microorganisms with the potential to reduce pollutant levels by degradation processes have been reported, and bacteria are among such organisms. The first study on bacterial degradation in Colombia was published in 1996. The study isolated bacteria belonging to the
Pseudomonas
genus from hydrocarbon-polluted sediments. Since then, different reports on degrading bacteria have been published. The objective of this systematic review is to identify and analyze all the studies on hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria performed in Colombia. To accomplish this goal, a literature search was conducted. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and 37 relevant articles were obtained. We found that 2018 was the year with the largest number of publications in Colombia, and most frequently identified bacterial genera were
Pseudomonas
and
Bacillus
. Some studies showed that the degradation of hydrocarbons is more efficient when bacterial consortia are used rather than pure cultures. This study provides information about bacteria with the potential to degrade hydrocarbons in Colombia, which in turn will be a source of information for future studies in this field.