Investigation of Biosurfactants Production from Petroleum Oil Wastes Using Response Surface Methodology

This study reports rhamnolipid biosurfactant production from biodegradation of petroleum oil wastes using Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027. Glycerol was added as an inducer to enhance the production of rhamnolipid. Tests were run on effluents with different initial oil concentrations (1, 1.5, and 2%) at two glycerol dosages (10 and 20% of the oil concentration in the effluent). A higher percentage removal of oil in the ensuing effluent (99.9% for both poly aromatic and poly aliphatic hydrocarbon fractions) was realized. Meanwhile, a high percentage yield of rhamnolipid (2.7 g/L) was observed. Optimization of the parameters affecting oil biodegradation; using the response surface methodology (RSM) and a Box- Behnken design, statistical analysis of the experimental data, was applied. The study showed that the optimum values for reaction time, crude oil percentage and glycerol addition were 240 h, 2 and 18.346%, respectively. These values were comparable to the values obtained from the experimental work.