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Degradation of diesel oil
in a polluted soil using Bacillus subtilis
L. A. Nwaogu1*,
G. O. C. Onyeze1 and R. N. Nwabueze2
1Department
of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Owerri,
Nigeria.
2Department
of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri,
Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
nwogulinus@yahoo.com.
Accepted
11 February, 2008 |
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Diesel oil, left standing in a laboratory for six months, was
used as source for the isolation of Bacillus subtilis,
Bacillus cereus, Trichoderma harzanium and
Trichothercium roseum. These organisms were found to be
hydrocarbon degraders. On further testing, it was found that
B. subtilis had higher potential to utilize diesel
oil as carbon source. Soil samples were polluted with diesel
oil at a loading rate of 5% (v/w) (oil/soil). These soil
samples, together with the unpolluted control samples, were
seeded with the B. subtilis isolate. The degradation
of the diesel oil was monitored over a twenty-seven -day
period, using gravimetric method. The rates of degradation
of diesel oil by the isolate at the end of day one, day
twelve and day twenty-seven were 5.8 x 10-4, 1.83
x 10-3 and 1.05 x 10-3 g/h,
respectively.
Key words:
Degradation, diesel oil, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus
cereus, Trichoderma harzanium, Trichothercium roseum. |
