Isolation and characterization of gram negative hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria and fungi strains fromnon-contaminated, premium motor spirit contaminated and refuse environment

Abstract

Obinna Aru Oje, Ikechukwu N. E.Onwurah, Bonaventure C.Obi, Chibuike Samuel Ubani

The availability of bacteria and fungi with hydrocarbonoclastic potential are of major concern to the environmentalist. Therefor this work is aimed at isolating and characterizing of organism that are able to grow in a contaminated environment without amendment. Soil samples were collected from three different sites (non-contaminated, petrol contaminated and refuse contaminated) around Nsukka environs and were used for the isolation using different differential medium. The morphological characteristics of the isolates were identified by Gram staining, biochemical reactions and motility test as well. Pseudomonas putida, Acinetobacter buamaniiand Proteus vulgariswere found to grow in all the soil samples, but there growth density were found to be more in the soil polluted with the Premium Motor Spirit. Their ability to grow well on the contaminated soil shows that they effectively broke down the hydrocarbon skeleton of Premium Motor Spirit into metabolites which served as a rich source of carbon and nitrogen for their metabolism and growth hence can effectively be employed in bioremediation of crude oil contaminated sites.