Hassan Nezammahalleh
"Bacillus subtilis Wb600 is capable of desulfurizing the light crude oil from a two phase system including the aque-ous microbial culture and the organic crude oil. This microorganism grows on sulfur-free basal salt medium in the presence of light crude oil with 1.5% total sulfur. B. subtilis Wb600 utilizes the sulfur-containing compounds of the oil as a source of sulfur without degrading the hydrocarbon content. The microorganism produces biosur-factants which transfers the organic sulfur compounds into the aqueous phase. The quantity of biosurfactants produced in the microbial culture is about two times higher than the ones produced in the control culture with inorganic sulfur source. Desulfurization capability of the microorganism was tested during 35 h exponential growth phase in a flask with an oil/water phase ratio of 0.2. A total sulfur removal of 40% from light crude oil was found."