Hydrocarbon-degrading potential of microbial consortia from salt lakes surface sediments in Russia

Environmental pollution with oil and petroleum products is currently one of the most pressing and acute global environmental problems. Traditional methods eliminating such pollution are often ineffective or expensive, leading to the search for alternative environmentally friendly solutions. Therefore, bioremediation technologies using degradative microorganisms are of particular interest. Currently, many halophilic microorganisms are considered promising oil oxidizers due to their high resistance to stress conditions. In this study, the utilization degree of six different hydrocarbons by 12 microbial consortia isolated from surface sediments of salt lakes in five regions of Russia was assessed. Degradation activity was assessed using the redox indicator 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCPIP). Results showed that all the studied consortia exhibited degradation activity. Using the nonparametric Friedman test, significant differences in their effectiveness were identified, allowing them to be divided into three groups: high, medium, and low effectiveness. The Lake Sukko and Lake Elton consortia were considered highly effective, suggesting they have potential for bioremediation.