Comparison of Extraction Methods and Potency Test as Oil Removal Agent of Achromobacter xylosoxidans BP(1)5 Biosurfactant

Biosurfactant is one of the important biotechnology products for oil removal because of its ability to emulsify hydrocarbon. In our previous study, Achromobacter xylosoxidans BP(1)5 obtained from Balongan oil sludge had good ability in producing biosurfactants. One of the challenges of using bisourfactants as oil remover is the high downstream cost of biosurfactant production. So, that an effective and efficient downstream process will increase the biosurfactant product and reduce production costs. To date, not many studies have reported the best extraction process for Achromobacter biosurfactants. Hence, this study aimed to compare several biosurfactant recovery methods and to examine the potential of the biosurfactant Achromobacter xylosoxidans BP(1)5 as an oil remover. The production of biosurfactants was carried out for three days using minimal salt media supplemented with glucose and yeast extract. Extraction methods include that of: acid precipitation, zinc sulfate precipitation, ammonium sulfate precipitation, and acetone extraction. The results showed that zinc sulfate precipitation had the highest biosurfactant yield of 13.00 ± 0.18 g/L, while chilled acetone produced the least 0.58 ± 0.00 g/L. Meanwhile the precipitation of ammonium sulfate showed the best biosurfactant activity with a critical micelle concentration value of 2000 mg/L (50.36 mN/m) and an emulsification activity of 54.04%. The high emulsification activity indicates the biosurfactant has great potential in oil removal.