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ABSTRACT
Soil contaminated with oil spills is of global concern and the contamination with petroleum hydrocarbons has a serious hazard to human health. This study was aimed at determining theutilization of carbon by hydrocarbon degrading bacteria isolated from crude oil contaminated soil. The physiochemical studies were carried out according to Association of Official Analytical Chemist (A.O.A.C). The microbiological analysis was carried out using standard microbiological techniques. The results for the physiochemical properties of the contaminated soil samples showed that across the sampling site (A-H) the values were statistically significant with respect to normal control. The results from soil texture of hydrocarbon contaminated soil samples showed that silt had the highest range value across sample A-H with (18.10±14.90 % - 65.75±0.43ab %), sand had value range of (11.15±4.45a % - 52.30±8.60a %) and clay had values range of (16.55±1.35a % - 36.45±2.75a%). The result of the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) showed the range of contamination was between 216.16±71.21mg/kg – 4928.80±61.35ab mg/kg. The result of polycyclic hydrocarbon showed that sample D had a value of 22.61 mg/kg of acenaphtene. Total heterotrophic bacteria count showed the values ranging from (2.3 ± 3.5) x 104 cfu/g to (5.2 ± 3.5) x 104 cfu/g (THBC). The hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria count in this study ranged from (0.3 ± 0.09) x 104 cfu/g to (3.6 ±2.60) x 104 cfu/g. The suspected isolates from the study were Acinetobacter spp, Arthrobacter spp, Enterobacter spp, Bacillus spp, Micrococcus spp, Klebsiella spp, and Pseudomonas spp. The screening test result revealed that all the isolates had considerable utilization of hydrocarbon except Klebsiella sp. The result of pH, temperature and optical density showed gradual variation of data from day 0 to day 15. The ability of these isolate to degrade crude oil in the experimental setup suggested their ability to be used to treat other polluted environment.
