Bio-treatment of crude oil polluted water using mixed microbial populations of P. aureginosa, Penicillium notatum, E. Coli and Aspergillus niger

摘要

Bioremediation as a strategy of clean- up of crude oil spills in water using a mixed microbial population of E. Coli, Aspergillus niger, Penicillum notatum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated in this study. The sample of crude oil polluted water containing the mixed microbes and the control was monitored for parameters such as BOD, pH, Total Hydrocarbon Content (THC) and Turbidity over a period of nine weeks. At the end of the bioremediation period, the results obtained showed that the sample remediated with the mixed microbes gave a THC drop from 14975mg/l-1.960mg/l (99.9% drop) compared to the control with a drop from 14975 - 18.72mg/l (99.8% drop). A BOD drop from 1447.4mg/l - 17.1mg/l (98.8% drop) for the sample mixed microbes and 1447.4 - 90.8mg/l (93.7% drop) for the control. Turbidity values increased from 5.0 NTU - 25.2NTU for sample with mixed microbes and 5.0 NTU - 23.1 NTU for the control. The values of THC (1.96 mg/l) and BOD (17.1 mg/l) at the end of the experimentation period fell within the FEPA and DPR limits of 10mg/l and 30mg/l for THC and BOD respectively. The results above thus indicates that the use of mixed microbial population of Pseudomonas aureginosa, Penicillium notatum, E. Coli and Aspergillus niger holds a strong potential for large scale treatment of crude oil spills in water.