Abstract

Surfactants of microbial origin offer significant value and versatility, and they are used in microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) in the petroleum sector. Biosurfactant generation was investigated by isolating bacteria that were abundant in hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. Biosurfactants have gained admiration because of their low surface tension, biodegradability, high foaming, and ability to synthesis from renewable waste substrates, hence avoiding the need of non-renewable resources. Microbes can be studied on an experimental scale using a renewable, low-cost substrate. The biosurfactant activity was tested utilizing an uncommon source of nutrients that is cheese whey. Whey as a by-product of the cheese industry is typically dumped as desolate while it has lactose, the primary carbon source, and it is clearly suitable for microbial development. Microbes can be studied on an experimental scale using a renewable, low-cost substrate. In soil, surface active chemicals improve nutrient uptake by assisting microorganisms and crop yield in a variety of crops from varied regions. In contrast to previous examples, biosurfactants have several disadvantages in commercial manufacturing due to their low yield and high production costs.

Keywords: Surfactants, Cheese whey, Biosurfactant, Renewable substrate