Growth and Survival of Fuel Isolates in Hydrocarbon-Fuel Emulsions

Two fuel utilizers, a strain ofPseudomonas aeruginosa and aHormodendrum sp., and two fuel isolates which did not use fuel,Staphylococcus andBacillus spp., were tested for ability to survive and grow in systems containing emulsified or nonemulsified forms of JP-4 jet fuel. Neither emulsion (Alamac no. 1 or Alamac no. 2) supported microbial growth without a water phase. Growth ofP. aeruginosa in liquid systems containing either emulsion was not significantly different from growth in liquid systems with nonemulsified fuel. TheHormodendrum sp. grew well in a liquid medium containing nonemulsified JP-4, but when either of the emulsions served as carbon source no growth was observed. However, good growth was noted on spread plates with either emulsion. Viable cells ofBacillus sp. did not increase over a 4-day period, andStaphylococcus sp. did not survive in liquid systems containing JP-4 or emulsions.