TITLE:
Bioremediation of Total Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Contaminated Soil Using Nitrified Sawdust and Pseudomonas auriginosa
AUTHORS:
Effiong Ukorebi Etim, Mercy Ichiko Ola, Rotimi Olawale Owoade
KEYWORDS:
Bioremediation, Sawdust, Composting, Contaminated Soil, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.13 No.6,
June
28,
2022
ABSTRACT: Bioremediation involving bioaugmentation and biostimulation are eco-friendly existing methods for degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soils. This study investigates the efficiency of Pseudomonas auriginosa and nutrient-enriched sawdust (SD) in biodegrading ∑PAHs in contaminated soil (CS). Four compost mixtures of CS/SD (1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3) were applied for 2, 4, 6, 8-week bio-cleanup after inoculation. Results show ∑PAHs concentrations decreased with increasing time of treatment for all four compost in experimental and control setups. The removal efficiency of ∑PAHs was clearly associated with nutrient-enriched sawdust and Pseudomonas auriginosa, especially for 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3 ratios. Both factors had a significant effect (p = 0.05) on removal efficiency compared to the control setup. The highest (78.5%) and lowest (37.8%) ∑PAHs removal efficiency were observed for CS/SD ratios of 1:3 and 1:0 respectively after 8-week treatment. In this instance, this study recommends a CS/SD ratio of 1:3 at 8-week treatment to achieve maximum removal efficiency of ∑PAHs in contaminated soils.