Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Microbiological Status, Physico-chemistry and Plant Performance in Spent Lubricating Oil (SLO) Polluted Soils Amended with Spiked Organic Fertilizer

M. E. Ntekpe, M. A. Ekpo, U. U. Ndubuisi-Nnaji, E. O. Mbong, D. C. Udoidiong

Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research · pp. 246–260 · Published 1 Aug 2023

10.9734/ajahr/2023/v10i4267

Abstract

Soil contaminations by spent lubricating oil (SLO) have been reported to be threatening as it can negatively impact soil macro/micro-flora, destroy the food chains, disrupt biogeochemical cycling of elements, thus reducing soil fertility/productivity, with attendant economic implications. This study evaluated the changes in microbial population and performance of plant in SLO polluted soils amended with different organic fertilizers. The fertilizers were produced from organic waste materials using aerobic composting technique; pollution was simulated in potted soils; soil toxicity were determined using Zea mays L. as test crop; microbial counts and physicochemical properties of the test soils were determined using standard microbiological and chemical protocols respectively. Apart from significant (P˂0.05) decrease in population of total heterotrophic bacteria (THB) and total fungal counts (TFC) (2.6×108 to 6.1×107 cfu/g and 2.3×105 to 1.7×105 cfu/g respectively), and increase in populations of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (HUB) and hydrocarbon utilizing fungi (HUF) (7.3×103 to 4.6×104 cfu/g and 8.0×103 to 1.7×104 cfu/g respectively) following contamination of soil with SLO at pollution level., results also revealed increase (improvements) in counts of all microbial groups at the end of remediation treatments. Mean microbial count in soils amended with different levels of fertilizer treatments (5%, 10%, and 15%) reflected a dose-dependent increase as follows: Ft2 ˃ Ft0 ˃ Ft4 for the 5% (3.7×108 cfu/g), 10% (9.2×107 cfu/g) and 15% (6.9×107 cfu/g) respectively. At 5% application, post remediation pH increased following the order: Ft0 ˃ Ft2 ˃ Ft4 (6.00, 5.34, and 4.90 respectively). The test crop, Zea mays L. recorded 100% and 62.5% germination in amended and unamended soils respectively. Leave length and chlorophyll index of Z. mays L. grown on remediated soils ranged between 35.10±0.40 – 52.85±0.05 (at 5% treatments); 32.60±0.10 – 56.55±0.35 (at 10% treatments); and 35.35±0.15 – 42.45±0.25 (at 15% treatments), compared with 30.30±0.80 – 50.55±0.75 (for PS) and 18.05±0.85 – 25.50±0.70 (for unamended CS). All test crops yielded except those grown on unamended soils. Conclusively, application of organic fertilizers to SLO polluted soils increased population of different groups of soil microbes, leading to increased breakdown of the pollutant and reduced soil toxicity.

Spent lubricating oil soil environment contaminants pollution bioremediation germination

References (29)

  1. 1 Standard methods: For the examination of water and waste water [DOI]
  2. 2 AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION [DOI]
  3. 3 Integrated Solid Waste Management: Engineering Principles and Management Issues
  4. 4 District laboratory practice in tropical countries. Part 1 [DOI]
  5. 5 Manual on Soil Plant and Water Analysis
  6. 6 A Rapid Method to Determine Total Phosphorus in Soils [DOI]
  7. 7 Environmental distribution of prokaryotic taxa [DOI]
  8. 8 Aging effect of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil under different attenuation conditions [DOI]
  9. 9 Toward Understanding, Managing, and Protecting Microbial Ecosystems [DOI]
  10. 10 Bioremediation of a crude-oil polluted agricultural-soil at Port Harcourt, Nigeria [DOI]
  11. 11 Bioremediation of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Soil Using Selected Organic Wastes [DOI]
  12. 12 BIOREMEDIATION OF A CRUDE OIL - POLLUTED SOIL BY APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS
  13. 13 An investigation of the biodiversity of thermophilic and thermotolerant fungal species in composts using culture-based and molecular techniques [DOI]
  14. 14 Microbial Degradation and its Kinetics on Crude Oil Polluted Soil
  15. 15 Effects of crude oil spillage on growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.) in soils of midwestern Nigeria [DOI]
  16. 16 Toxicity of diesel fuel to germination, growth and colonization of Glomus intraradices in soil and in vitro transformed carrot root cultures [DOI]
  17. 17 Chemical reclamation of crude-oil-inundated soils from Niger Delta, Nigeria [DOI]
  18. 18 Comparative study of biodegradation of crude oil in soil amended with chicken droppings and npk fertilizer [DOI]
  19. 19 Effect of Crude Oil on the Emergence and Growth of Cowpea in Two Contrasting Soil Types from Abeokuta, Southwestern Nigeria [DOI]
  20. 20 Response of six cultivars of cowpea (vigna unguiculata(l.) walp) to spent engine oil
  21. 21 Evaluation of Kitchen Waste Composting and its Comparison with Compost Prepared from Municipal Solid Waste
  22. 22 Remediation Technologies for Oil-contaminated Soil
  23. 23 Estimation of chlorophyll content in pepper leaves using spectral transmittance red-edge parameters [DOI]
  24. 24 Temperature-induced changes in the proteome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during petroleum hydrocarbon degradation [DOI]
  25. 25 The randomized complete block design. [DOI]
  26. 26 Use of Microbial inoculants and organic fertilizers in agricultural production
  27. 27 A study on the transport performance of the petroleum contaminants in soil of the Longdong loess plateau
  28. 28 Official Methods of Analysis [DOI]
  29. 29 Total Carbon, Organic Carbon, and Organic Matter [DOI]

Cited by 2

Enhanced Biodegradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soil by Using Organic Amendment as a Sustainable Solution

Ramesh Kumar Ekka, Rajalaxmi Badra, Ipsita Dipamitra Behera · 2025

Showing 1 of 2 known citations — external sources report more than can currently be individually listed.

Related research

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

14

Page views

0

PDF downloads

1

Outbound clicks

2

Citations

Views over time

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.