Nitrogenous fertilizer (NPK) plant effluents from NAFCON were used in amending plots of land experimentally polluted with crude oil. Counts of heterotrophic bacteria (THBC) and fungi (TF), and of petroleum utilizing bacteria (PUB) and fungi (PUF) were monitored during an 8 weeks period. Counts obtained showed that NPK served as a good supplement for the growth of the petroleum degrading/utilizing bacteria in oil-polluted soils. Crude oil disappearance in plots TSP ranged between 8.70 and 34.80% and 20.90 and 60.50% for TST; cumulative loss was 73.0%. The disappearance was influenced by the N/P ratio in the supplementing fertilizer effluent. A total of ten genera of petroleum degraders were isolated, namely, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Proteus, Bacillus, Actinomyces, Corynebacterium, Enterobacter, Brevibacteria and Citrobacter. Crops grown on the experimental plots at the end of the study period for soil recovery studies indicated good soil recovery.

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Removal of crude petroleum hydrocarbons by heterotrophic bacteria in soils amended with nitrogenous fertilizer plant effluents

Nutrient addition is important to achieving the carbon/nitrogen balance and successful biodegradation of petroleum contaminants. Urea has been considered as a preferred nitrogen source in enhancing biodegradation, because of its high nitrogen content and commercial availability. This study investigated urea in the biodegradation of petroleum-contaminated soils collected from an arid and sandy area in Egypt. Ammonium nitrate served as the nitrogen amendment control in this study. Biodegradation of petroleum-contaminated soils from Wyoming was monitored as a comparison. Addition of urea failed to improve the enhancement of biodegradation of petroleum-impacted soil from the Egyptian site; in addition, urea demonstrates an adverse effect on the biodegradation rates. Results indicate that urea or its intermediates may inhibit the microorganisms involved in petroleum degradation. Data from this study suggest that the application of urea in the enhancement of biodegradation of petroleum compounds should consider...

Site-Specific Limitations of Using Urea as a Nitrogen Source in Biodegradation of Petroleum Wastes in Soil

Systems and methods for co-enhancing contaminant degradation such as LNAPL and DNAPL degradation. Embodiments of the inventive technology may relate to assuring adequate amounts (e.g., concentrations) of certain substances (e.g., nitrogen, electron acceptor, bacteria, microbial substrate) so that degradation of LNAPL and DNAPL is enhanced as intended. Any of the inventive methods may involve the amendment of groundwater with one or more particular substance (uric acid, electron acceptors, microbial substrate, as but a few examples) in order to enhance DNAPL, and perhaps also, LNAPL degradation.

Methods of enhancing biodegradation of groundwater contaminants

Experiment was conducted in Faculty of Agriculture Teaching and Research Farm, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma to remediate crude oil contaminated soil with organic and inorganic fertilizers. Thirty six pots were filled with 5 kg surface soils (0-15cm).The soils were contaminated with 300 ml crude oil and amended with six rates of poultry manure and NPK fertilizer mixture. Potato vine with 2 nodes was planted in each pot. The pots were laid out using completely randomized design replicated thrice. Results showed that application of 6 t pm/ha + 400 kg NPK/ha and 4 t pm/ha + 200 kg NPK/ha reduced soil THC from 300 mg/kg to 39.08 and 70.00 mg/kg i.e. net remediation of 86.97 and 76.42 % respectively. Inorganic and organic fertilizer mixtures are effective in the restoration of crude oil contaminated soils. Keywords: contamination, crude oil, NPK fertilizer, poultry manure, remediation, sweet potato.

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Remediation of Crude Oil Contaminated Soil with Inorganic and Organic Fertilizer Using Sweet Potato as a Test Crop

In the Niger delta, due to the large-scale exploration and exploitation of crude petroleum, hydrocarbon spills frequently occur. The adverse impacts of these occurrences have frequently been causes for concerns in the area. However, in open estuarine environments, minor spills have short-term effects due to washout by stream water and increased microbial action. The microbial degradation of low level spills is enhanced by the ‘continuous’ input of nitrogenous fertilizer (NPK) components. The ‘continuous’ input assists in mitigating dilution effects of the stream water thus increasing the availability of nutrients to the petroleum degrading microbes. The net result is the increased recovery potential of this estuarine environment in the event of pollution by crude oil hydrocarbons. Enumeration of viable aerobic heterotrophic bacteria showed that counts were higher in hydrocarbon amended nitrogenous fertilizer plant effluent than in the raw effluent. The higher counts were accompanied by a rapid decline in the level of crude petroleum in the amended effluent. The ability of aerobic heterotrophic mudflat bacteria to grow on three different refined petroleum products namely kerosine, diesel and engine oil was also studied. At the levels tested, there were no appreciable differences in growth patterns of petroleum utilizing bacteria in three refined products after 5 weeks incubation at ambient temperature.

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Uptake of crude petroleum hydrocarbons by mudflat bacteria exposed to nitrogenous fertilizer plant effluents

The biodegradation of Bonny light crude petroleum by bacteria in batch culture was enhanced by the addition to culture media, of 0.2 mg of urea and soya bean lecithin per 100 ml of crude oil, sediment and water mixture. Biodegradation was found to be purely an aerobic process. There was a direct relationship between hydrocarbon content and proportion (%) of total heterotrophic count that was capable of growing on crude petroleum as sole carbon and energy source.

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On a ameliore la biodegradation de petrole leger brut Bonny par des bacteries en culture par lots en ajoutant au milieu de culture 0,2 mg d’uree et de lecithine de soja par 100 ml de melange de petrole brut, de sediment et d’eau. On a decouvert que la biodegradation etait un processus purement aerobique. Il y avait une relation directe entre le contenu en hydrocarbure et la proportion (en %) du compte total d’organismes heterotrophiques qui etaient capables de se developper avec du petrole brut pour unique source de carbone et d’energie.

A. Adoki

Papers

Effects of amendments on biodegradation of crude petroleum by sediment bacteria from Bonny River Estuary