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ABSTRACT
Biostimulation is a form of bioremediation that involves the optimization of soil conditions such as pH, moisture, oxygen etc. to improve pollutant degradation. It embodies the introduction/ addition of nutrients to aid microbial growth. The impact of diesel pollution on the physicochemical properties of soil and the effects of remediation using poultry droppings was investigated. Sample soil, polluted with diesel was simulated in a single biotreatment unit. Before contamination, the soil sample was characterized after digestion (using 1:1 ratio of 0.25M hydrochloric acid and Nitric acid) to determine the intrinsic properties of the soil. For effective treatment, a 2:1 mixture (w/w) of the polluted soil and the substrate in addition to 25ml of nutrient agar was utilized. The physicochemical properties of soil and rate of pollutant degradation after remediation was monitored for a period of 8 weeks. The initial total heterotrophic bacterial (THB) present in the experimental soil at week 1, was 2.44×105 cfu/g. The total heterotrophic bacterial after bioremediation was 3.74×105 cfu/ g. Also, the total hydrocarbon content (THC) decreased from an initial figure of 7.89 mg/kg at week 1 to 2.67mg/kg at week 8. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of poultry droppings as a potent remediation tool for diesel polluted soil
