A group of bacteria was tested to see how well they could break down harmful chemicals found in the environment, like benzene and toluene. The bacteria were able to tolerate high levels of these chemicals, with benzene being the most tolerated. As the concentration of the chemicals increased, the bacteria's growth slowed down. The bacteria were most effective at breaking down benzene, followed by toluene, xylene, and ethylbenzene. After 48 hours, the bacteria had degraded a significant amount of these chemicals. This shows that the bacteria can use these chemicals as a food source and energy.