Potency of Exogenous Bacteria Contortium and Indigenous Bacteria in Degrading the Oil Spills of Balongan Beach, Indramayu in Vitro Scale

Abstract

Balongan Beach is located in oil exploitation area of PT (Persero) Pertamina UP VI Balongan, Kabupaten Indramayu. Oil leakage from refining pipe have caused pollution of waters, soils, and shores. Bioremediation is an alternative pollution treatment by decomposing oil and other pollutant using microorganisms. In polluted shore, indigenous bacteria community could interact with bacteria contortiums. The objective of the study are to explore ability of indigenous bacteria and five bacteria contortiums, i.e., contortium A (Pseudomonas balearica, Alcanivorax sp. TE-9, Bordetella sp. F2), contortium B (Alcanivorax sp. TE-9, Strain 68 MRa, Pseudomonas balearica), contortium C (Bacillus sp. L 41, Strain 68 MRa, Alcanivorax dieselolei), contortium D (Strain 68 MRa, Pseudomonas balearica, Strain 44 BR), and contortium E (Bordetella sp. F2, Alcanivorax sp. TE-9, Strain 44 BR) in order to degrade oil spills in Balongan Beach, Indramayu in vitro scale. The variables measured were oil residue weight, total number of bacterial cells, population of PAH and crude oil degrading bacteria, and medium condition. Completely Randomized Design was used using two factors, that were bacterial contortiums (KA, KB, KC, KD, KE) and incubation periods (T0, T7, T14, T28). The result showed that the combinations of five contortiums and indigenous bacteria was able to degrade the oil. Type of contortium and incubation periods affect oil degrading activity significantly. Contortium C is more potential in degrading oil at 14 days incubation with 56,4% of oil residue weight.