Effects of aqueous media on microbial removal of sulfur from dibenzothiophene in the presence of hydrocarbons

Effects of the aqueous components, pH, concentration of NaCl, and volume ratios of oil-to-water on the desulfurization activity of gram-negative desulfurizing bacterium, Pseudomonas delafieldii R-8, were investigated. R-8 showed high desulfurization activity even with a concentration of NaCl up to 60 g@L-1 or high content of dodecane over 83%. The addition of NADH could increase the desulfurization activity of the whole cells. The desulfurization of DBT could be proceeded in the presence of hydrocarbons with the carbon length ranging from 6 to16. Among them, the largest specific desulfurization activity was shown in dodecane, the value of which was 1.96 mg@g-1@h-1 similar to that of R. erythropolis IGTS8.