Several microorganisms which degrade phenol and trichloroethylene (TCE) were isolated from the activated sludge of a wastewater treatment plant. Among them, one isolate EL-04J showed the highest degradability and was identified as a Pseudomonas species according to morphological, cultural and biochemical properties. The phenol-induced cells of Pseudomonas EL-04J, which were preincubated in the mineral salts medium containing phenol as a sole carbon source, degraded 90% of 25μM TCE within 20 h. This strain could also utilize some of methylated phenol derivatives (o-cresol, m-cresol and p-cresol) as the sole source of carbon and energy. Cresol-induced cells of Pseudomonas EL-04J also cometabolized TCE.

Microorganisms utilizing petroleum as substrate were screened from the seawater in Pusan coastal area. Among them, fifty strains utilized bunker-A oil as a sole carbon and energy source. Five of these fifty strains were selected to experiment this study. According to the taxonomic characteristics of its morphological, cultural and biochemical properties, the selected strains were named Pseudomonas sp. EL-12, Flavobacterium sp. EL-15, Acinetobacter sp. EL-18, Enterobacter sp. EL-27 and Micrococcus sp. EL-43, respectively. The optimal medium compositions and cultural conditions for assimilation of bunker-A oil by the selected strains were 1.5-2% bunker-A oil, 0.1% NH4NO3, 1-1.5% MgSO4·7H2O, 0.05-0.15% KCl, 0.1-0.15% CaCl2·2H2O, 2.5-3.5% NaCl, initial pH 8-9, temperature 30℃ and aeration, respectively. The utilization and degradation characteristics on the various hydrocarbons by the selected strains were showed that bunker oil, n-alkane and branched alkane compounds were highly activity than cyclic alkane and aromatic hydrocarbon compounds.