Detection of hazardous heterocyclic hydrocarbon from water samples

Environmental pollution is getting more severe with the contaminations caused by chemicals such as heterocyclic hydrocarbons from oil spills, industrial activities and the use of chemicals which reside in the environment for extensive period of time. In this study, the feasibility of detection method for hazardous heterocyclic bydrocarbon using degrading bacteria in water sample is tested. Sample can be detected and analyse for the concentration of the heterocyclic hydrocarbon in the water source by using the visible light spectrophotometer. Several parameters such as pH and substrate concentration for the detection of heterocyclic hydrocarbon have been successfully indentified. Results show that all the marine bacteria used in this study are less efficient at detecting heterocyclic hydrocarbon at pH that are lower than 7, except for ThaJassospira profundimaris which can degrade carbazole at the highest rate pH 6.5, and not able to degrade heterocyclic hydrocarbon at pH 9.5. It is also found that the system is able to detect the presence of heterocyclic hydrocarbon at a substrate concentration as low as 0.1 ppm