DOI: 10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.21 ISSN: 2578-8353

Isolation and Characterization of Phenanthrene Degrading Bacteria from Soil in the District of Angul Near JSPL Industry

Malaya Pradhan, Abhimanyu Das, Namita Panigrahy
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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as phenanthrene are persistent environmental pollutants commonly associated with industrial activities, posing a serious risk to soil ecosystems & human health due to their toxic & carcinogenic nature. The present study focuses on the isolation and characterization of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria from soil samples collected near Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) industrial area, where chronic hydrocarbon contamination is expected. To isolate effective degrading bacteria, soil samples were enriched in BHB supplemented with phenanthrene as the only carbon and energy source. By utilizing spectrophotometric analysis, bacterial isolates exhibiting notable growth were further tested for the ability to degrade phenanthrene. The strong isolates were characterized morphologically, physiologically, and biochemically using accepted microbiological procedures. The majority of the isolates belonged to genera like Bacillus and Pseudomonas that are known to degrade hydrocarbons. Degradation efficiency was found to be affected by temperature, phenanthrene content, and pH, with neutral pH exhibiting the best degradation. The findings show that industrially contaminated soils contain native bacteria that are metabolically adaptable and can use phenanthrene as a carbon source. This study emphasises the importance of native microbial populations in natural attenuation processes and their capacity for adaptation in contaminated environments. The identified isolates exhibit encouraging potential for use in bioremediation techniques meant to restore soils affected by PAHs near industrial areas.

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