Assessment of Biological Decomposition of Organic Pollutants with References to Degradation of Petroleum products by Endophytes of Aquatic Plants

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Abstract

Endophytes are microorganisms in plants with much biotechnological prospects. Some physicochemical characteristics and the ability of endophytes of aquatic plants to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons were studied in plants from six-month old contaminated soil at Oloibiri Oil Field (Ogbia LGA) and twelve-month old contaminated soil at Ikarama (Yenagoa LGA) in Bayelsa State, Niger Delta region, Nigeria. Petroleum degradative abilities of endophytes were performed in Minimal Salt Medium containing 1% crude oil, 1% kerosene and 1% diesel. These were incubated for a period of 7 days at room temperature, the residual total petroleum hydrocarbon extracted and analyzed using gas chromatography equipped with single flame ionization (GC/FID).The results of the physicochemical parameters of the two soils were: pH 5.79±0.12 and 5.52±0.11; conductivity 28.42±2.3 µS/cm and 130.08±7.66 µS/cm; nitrate 2.30±0.09 mg/kg and 0.22±0.02 mg/kg, organic carbon (1.11±0.04 % and 2.02±0.07 %), moisture content 6.34±0.13 % and 34.32±1.22 %), and Total petroleum hydrocarbon (741.08±18.47 mg/kg and 343.25±8.38 mg/kg) respectively. The results of the petroleum degradative abilities of endophytes; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, C. indologenes, Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus spp., Proteus sp., Providencia rettgeri and Sphaerotilus natans showed crude oil was degraded better by endophytes of the six-month old site with a significant difference (p<0.05) occurring between the petroleum and non-petroleum contaminated sites. Significant differences were not recorded in the degradation by individual endophytes (p>0.05). No significant differences (p>0.05) occurred after degradation by endophytes of the petroleum contaminated sites. The presence of these petroleum degrading endophytes in aquatic plants could be useful in enhancing microbe-assisted phytoremediation in wetland soils on further investigation

Keywords: Endophytes, petroleum, phytoremediation, aquatic plants, wetlands

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