Biodegradation of Crude oil Contaminated Soils Using Fungal Species

Abstract

Crude oil contamination of soil in the environment has increase due to increase in vandalizations and corrosions of pipelines particularly where refineries and deports are located as well as accidental discharge during transportation and increased in demand on hydrocarbon products, which lead to the need to clean up spilled petroleum using biodegradation method. This research aimed at isolating fungal species from crude oil contaminated soil and their ability to degrade volatile organic compounds within petrochemical company (KRPC) in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The fungi were determined using poured plate method. Aspergillus flavus (4[20%]), Aspergillus fumigatus (6[30%]), Aspergillus niger (6[30%]), Rhizopus oryzae (2[10%]) and Microsporum audouinii (2[10%]) were isolated and identified with different frequencies. The degradation level of fungi species analyzed, using gas chromatography, showed Rhizopus oryzae and Aspergillus niger were the highest degraders that have degraded all the natural products found in crude oil and Aspergillus flavus was the least degrader. The use of these fungal species to clean impure crude oil soils could be employed. Therefore, these species more especially Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oryzea might be produced in large quantity and employed in bioremediation process.