High-temperature hydrocarbon biodegradation activities in Kuwaiti desert soil samples

Soil samples taken monthly from the Burgan South oil field of Kuwait for one year degraded crude oil, phenanthrene, and hexadecane. Bacteria were better degraders at high-temperature (55°C) than fungi, especially in the drier, hotter months. Depending on the period of sampling, bacteria degraded hydrocarbons in the range of 46–86% (crude oil), 42–100% (hexadecane) and 5–58% (phenanthrene). Fungi alone accounted for degradation by 20–81% (crude oil), 30–95% (hexadecane) and less than 55% (phenanthrene).