Effect of a Metal Alloy Fuel Catalyst on Bacterial Growth

Many microorganisms have been demonstrated to utilize petroleum fuel products to fulfill their nutritional requirement for carbon. As a result, the ability of these microbes to degrade fuel has both a deleterious affect as well as beneficial applications. This study focused on the undesired ability of bacteria to grow on fuel and the potential for some metal alloys to inhibit this biodegradation. The objective of this study was to review the pattern of growth of two reference strains of petroleum-degrading bacteria, Pseudomonas oleovorans and Rhodococcus rhodocrous, in a specific hydrocarbon environment in the presence of a commercially available alloy. The alloy formulated and supplied by Advanced Power Systems International Inc. (APSI) is sold for fuel reformulation and other purposes. The components of the alloy used in the study were antimony, tin, lead, and mercury formulated as pellets. Surface characterization also showed the presence of tin oxide and lead amalgam phases. Hydrocarbon used for the study was primarily 87-octane gasoline. The growth of the bacteria in the water and mineral-supplemented gasoline mixture over 6−8 weeks was monitored by the viable plate count method. While an initial increase in bacteria occurred in the first week, overall bacterial growth was found to be suppressed in the presence of the alloy. Results also indicate that the alloy surface characteristics that convey the catalytic activity may also contribute to the observed antibacterial activity.