BIOREMEDIATION OF SPENT ENGINE OIL POLLUTED SOIL WITH Pleurotus tuber-regium

ABSTRACT

This research was conducted to assess the effectiveness of Pleurotus tuber-regium, an indigenous white-rot fungus in degrading engine oil in the soil. Substrate bags containing sawdust, loamy soil, wheat bran, calcium carbonate were contaminated with 0 ml, 5 ml, 10 ml and 20 ml of spent engine oil, inoculated with Pleurotus tuber-regium, and incubated for 25 – 35 days at room temperature. Post-fungal treatment was determined by the amounts of organic matter, pH, total hydrocarbon, and elemental content such as copper (Cu) and lead (Pb). The findings show that polluted soils inoculated with Pleurotus tuber-regium have increased organic matter, carbon, and available phosphorus while reducing the amount of nitrogen and potassium. At 20 ml conc, there were lower data for fruiting body length and weight, significantly lower than the untreated group. At higher concentration of oil pollution, the concentrations of (Cu) and lead (Pb) retrieved from the straw/fungal biomass complex increased. The results show that Pleuroutus tuberregium bioaccumulates heavy metals from engine oil polluted soils. Thus Pleuroutus tuberregium xi appears to be a good candidate of bioremediation process in the restoration of polluted soil environment