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Biosurfactant-enhanced remediation of hydrocarbon contaminated mangrove swamp.
Abstract
Crude biosurfactant extract produced by two microbial isolates, Pseudomonas mallei and Pseudomonas pseudomallei were used to enhance the biodegradation rates of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants in a
mangrove swamp in Nigeria. Nutrient application in combination with biosurfactants showed very significant biodegradation rates of over 99% of the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) which was removed after 3 weeks
of exposure. Nutrient application alone without the biosurfactants only recorded about 53% remediation of TPH while biosurfactant application alone without nutrient supplement had about 84% of the TPH removed
after 3 weeks of exposure. The control plot did not show any remarkable biodegradation even after the 5 weeks exposure period, an indication that natural biodegradation without any form of enhancement can be a very slow process. The experimental data and the results obtained showed that the crude biosurfactant extract from P. mallei and P. pseudomallei were very effective in enhancing the biodegradation rates in the mangrove swamp especially when supplemented with nutrients.
Keywords: Biodegradation, Petroleum hydrocarbons, Hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria.
mangrove swamp in Nigeria. Nutrient application in combination with biosurfactants showed very significant biodegradation rates of over 99% of the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) which was removed after 3 weeks
of exposure. Nutrient application alone without the biosurfactants only recorded about 53% remediation of TPH while biosurfactant application alone without nutrient supplement had about 84% of the TPH removed
after 3 weeks of exposure. The control plot did not show any remarkable biodegradation even after the 5 weeks exposure period, an indication that natural biodegradation without any form of enhancement can be a very slow process. The experimental data and the results obtained showed that the crude biosurfactant extract from P. mallei and P. pseudomallei were very effective in enhancing the biodegradation rates in the mangrove swamp especially when supplemented with nutrients.
Keywords: Biodegradation, Petroleum hydrocarbons, Hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria.
