Abstract

---

Batch experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of nitrogen source on biodegradation of crude oil by hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria isolated from Eagle Island mangrove ecosystem of Niger Delta, Nigeria. The organisms were identified as Pseudomonas sp. MW3 and Bacillus sp. SD4. The ability of the organisms to solubilize crude oil was indicated by having emulsification index values of 62.1, 58.7, 60.6 and 61.2 % for crude oil, diesel, petrol and kerosene by Pseudomonas sp. MW3 and 61.4, 58.8, 59.4 and 60.3 % for crude oil, diesel, petrol and kerosene by Bacillus sp. SD4) respectively. After 15 days of incubation, the maximum total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal observed was 90.3 % regardless of treatments applied. Bushnell-Haas (BH) medium amended with urea showed 88.1 and 90.3 % TPH removal in both Pseudomonas sp. MW3 and Bacillus sp. SD4 cultures respectively. The lowest TPH removal (43.1 %) was observed in culture medium of Bacillus sp. SD4 supplemented with potassium nitrate. The high TPH removal in medium supplemented with implies that urea is an appropriate nitrogen source during bioremediation of crude oil contaminated sites.

Keywords: Bacteria, Mangrove, Nitrogen sources, Crude oil, Utilization