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ABSTRACT
The development of an environmental-friendly strategy to manage the pollution associated with crude oil exploration activities is driving increased research on bioremediation. The aim of this study was to investigate the bioremediation profile of sandy soil and silt clay contaminated with crude oil using inorganic fertilizer (NPK 15:15:15) and Urea to optimize indigenous microbes and enzymes.
The study involved physical, chemical and microbiological analyses of the soil samples using standard analytical procedures. The potential of the microbial isolates to utilize and degrade crude oil in liquid media was evaluated by turbidity assay and estimation of residual total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH). The process parameters optimized were agitation (which was done every three days for the 36 days experiment) and moisture content. The effect of biostimulation on crude oil degradation in polluted soil was investigated in 7 groups for the two soil types (Sandy soil and Silt clay). Residual TPH, microbial growth measured as total heterotrophic bacteria (THB), total hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (THUB), total heterotrophic fungi (THF) and total hydrocarbon utilizing fungi (THUF) as well as the following enzymes assays: Laccase, Peroxidase, Lipase and Catalase were evaluated every 6 days for 36 days for each of the soil type.
Results obtained from the chemical analysis of the contaminated soil indicated a total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) value of 362.5±1.32mg/kg for sandy soil while 618.5±1.10mg/kg was recorded for silt clay at the end of the 36 days experiment. Microbial screening revealed the presence of bacteria and fungi species with ability to utilize and degrade crude oil. The source of nutrient used for this study i.e. NPK 15:15:15 and urea had a positive effect on both sandy soil and silt clay with total petroleum hydrocarbon
(TPH) degradation of 92.5% for sandy soil and 80.46% for silt clay
