Comparative Assessment of Biodegradability Potential of Pseudomonas putida and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on Oil Spill Dispersant (Aquabreak and Teepol) in Freshwater

Abstract

To compare and assessment of Biodegradability Potential of Pseudomonas putida and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on oil spill dispersant (Aquabreak and Teepol) in Freshwater. Fresh water sample were collected from Biara, Gokana L.G.A, and were transported to the Microbiology Laboratory of Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria for analyses while Oil spill dispersant (OSD/Aquabreak) was purchased from Barker and Hughes, all in Rivers state. Nine experimental set up were carried out using Bacillus and Pseudomonas species as the bio-augmenting organism. Controls were made without organisms. Its bioremediation potential on the pollutants and two types of test organisms  were monitored for 28 days at an interval of 7day period. The setup was aerated twice a week to provide more oxygen for the organisms to thrive. Analysis of samples were carried out using standard analytical procedures. The resultsphysiochemical property of the water shows that as follows: pH 6.5, Temperature 30.0 ºC,  Electric  conductivity 15 µs/cm, Total dissolved solid  7 mg/l ,Chlorine 0.1 mg/l, Bromine 0.2 mg/l, Salinity (0.01 mg/l), Dissolved oxygen 1.5 mg/l , Biological Oxygen Demand 0.3 mg/l, Nitrate 0.01 mg/l, Sulphate 4.18 mg/l Phosphate 0.10 to 1.5mg/l, Total Hydrocarbon content 24mg/l. Percentage (%) Ultimate biodegradability of the two oil spill dispersant OSD/teepol and OSD/aquabreak  revealed that control set-up recorded the 79.3 and 86.7 % , bioremediation set-up augmented with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens recorded 93.7 and 99.1% while the set-up augmented with P. putida had 98.0 and 94.7% respectively . It was observed  that P. putida degrade Teepol than Bacillus amyloliquefaciens while aquabreak is more degraded by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens than P. putida. Nevertheless both dispersant shown high level of degradability by the test organisms. Therefore It is recommended that oil companies and government parastatals carrying out remediation in the Niger Delta should be encouraged and OSD/Teepol and OSD/aqubreak due to their high biodegradation potential.