摘要：The present study framed to evaluate hydrocarbon degradation efficiency of bacteria isolated from petrol contaminated soil and its relevance in biogas production. Hydrocarbon degrading bacteria was isolated and selected by using Bushnell-Hass agar medium and identified as Pseudomonas stutzeri through biochemical analysis and 16S rRNA sequencing, and consequently obtained the accession number from the Genbank. The influence of various parameters like pH, temperature, incubation period and hydrocarbon concentration for the optimum degradation of petrol, diesel and crude oil with Pseudomonas stutzeri was examined during the study. The optimum pH and temperature for degradation of 1% hydrocarbons was found in the range of 8.0-8.5 and 30-55C respectively, whereas utmost degradation of 63.5% at pH 8.0 and 65.1% at temperature 30C was obtained on diesel. The present study was able to prove an incubation period of 7 days was fine for the degradation of all the three hydrocarbon used, of which greatest degradation of 74.4% was observed on crude oil. Since the growth of Pseudomonas stutzeri of different hydrocarbon concentration showed high growth occurs at 6% petrol, 4% diesel and 3% crude oil. Biogas production from cow dung with the incorporation of Pseudomonas stutzeri was able to increase the peak of methane production by 82.02% at 30th day from the peak of methane production of 57.29% at 45th day in control. Overall, around 24% increased methane production was observed in the treated tank in contrast to the control.
