Various microbial groups participate in degradation of PAHs in soil but actinomycetes are good candidates for soil bioremediation because they utilize a wide range of carbon sources including aromatic lignin molecules. Actinomycetes
possess peculiar characteristics i.e. resistance to drought, survival and growth in alkaline pH and production of extracellular enzymes which make them suitable candidates for bioremediation (Goodfellow and Williams 1983). In the present study an actinobacterium strain was isolated from bitumen sample collected from Mathura refinery of India and evaluated for degradation of PAHs.