TREATMENT PETROLEUM OIL CONTAMINATED SOIL BY INOCULATION OF DIFFERENT BACTERIAL STRAINS

Abstract

Petroleum oil contains a large number of poly cyclic hydrocarbons (PAH's) that are toxic to living beings. The complete degradation of petroleum oil required a population of microorganisms in the soil. In the present investigation petroleum oil contaminated soil samples were incubated with four bacterial strains (Mycobacterium sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Alcaligenes faecalis and Enterobacter cloacae) to study the bioremediation efficacy. The soil samples were analyzed for soil reaction (pH), soil moisture content, soil organic carbon (SOC), available phosphorus (P), total petroleum hydrocarbon content (TPH), total bacterial count (TBC) and total petroleum degrading bacteria at the interval of 0 days (initial), 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks and 8 weeks prior and after treatment by bacteria. Values obtained reveals that there was a clear modulating effect of bacteria on above determinations. Maximum decrements in TPH (86%), soil pH (18.2%) and SOC (40%) were recorded in Pseudomonas aeruginosa inoculated samples.