PAPER TITLE :MICROBIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF DIESEL SIMULATED SOIL

FUTA JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE | VOLUME 9 NUMBER 1 2013

Paper Details

  • Author(s) : 1* E. Stephen, A. S. Usman, M.O. Okolo, E.A. Akogu2 and O.P. Abioye3
  • Abstract:

Microbiological and physicochemical properties of diesel simulated soil (11 % v/w) was studied for a period of 8 weeks. The results revealed lower counts in bacteria and fungi in diesel polluted soil (DPS) compared to oil free soil (OFS). There were significant differences (P<0.05) in both bacteria and fungi counts obtained from diesel free soil and diesel polluted soil. Ten organisms were isolated in the course of this study. These were Aspergillus flavus, A.niger, Bacillus cereus, Candida tropicalis, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Staphyloccoccus aureus, Geotrichum candidum and Rhizopus nigricans. Diesel pollution increased the organic carbon, organic matter and nitrogen contents of the soil. There were no significant differences in pH, moisture, organic carbon, organic matter and nitrogen at 5% probability level. The result obtained indicated that diesel pollution had altered the microbial and physicochemical properties of the soil. Keywords: oil free soil, diesel polluted soil, physicochemical properties