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Full Length Research Paper
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Testing biological methods
to treat rubber effluent
M. A. Iyagba1, A. Adoki2*
and. T. G. Sokari1
1Department of Biological Sciences, Rivers State University of Science and
Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
2Shell Petroleum Development Co. Ltd, P. O. Box 263, Old Aba Road, Port
Harcourt, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
akuro.adoki@shell,com
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Accepted 22 May, 2008.
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Abstract |
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A study was
conducted with the aim of treating and disposing of the
effluent of an indigenous rubber company rich in PO43-
and NH4+ and also determine the effect
of the effluent on soil fertility. The basic method used for
the biological treatment was aerobic digestion with glucose
and magnesium amendments. Most naturally occurring aerobic
heterotrophic bacteria in the rubber effluent were found to
be capable of utilizing petroleum hydrocarbons as carbon and
energy sources. Prominent among these bacteria were the
genera of Micrococcus, Bacillus, Staphylococcus,
Aerobacter, Proteus, Corynebacterium, Streptococcus,
Aeromonas and Pseudomonas. The possibility of
using the effluent as soil supplement was established.
Oxidative digestion following amendment with glucose yielded
only 53 and 40% reduction in levels of NH4+
and PO43- respectively. Addition of
glucose and magnesium ions resulted in 95% reduction for NH4+
and 47% for PO43-, respectively. Our
results indicate that rubber effluent can be disposed of (i)
by controlled spread to agricultural soils as an fertilizing
agent or (ii) by aerobic digestion before release in natural
flowing waters.
Key words:
Heterotrophic bacteria, rubber effluent, amendment,
oxidative digestion. |
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