Effects of hydrocarbons and decontaminating substances on bacterial flora of coastal sediments

Samples of coastal sediment from the Straits of Messina were studied to evaluate the effects of an oil spill and the clean-up operations on heterotrophic aerobic bacteria. In vitro experiments using 5 dispersants at various concentrations were performed to gain information on the clean-up effects on the growth and oil degrading capacity of the bacterial genera. Inhibition of growth differs for the various substances tested and depends on the concentration used.