Potentials For Mycoremediation Of Petroleum Products By Fungi Isolated From Irvingia Gabonensis Seeds

ABSTRACT

The Petroleum Industry has a huge potential for the pollution of the environment at every stage of its operation, hence the need to constantly fashion out new strategies for maintaining the sanctity of our environment. Fungi associated with diseased Irvingia gabonensis (Baill) seeds found in the open markets were suspected to possess the ability to degrade the hydrocarbon substances contained in these seeds. These fungi were isolated bimonthly from the diseased seeds of I.gabonensis from four open markets in the Lagos metropolis over a two year period. Simultaneously, fungi were also isolated from the soil from five other places, namely two mechanic villages, one public dump site, and two agricultural sites. Three important concepts, namely, mycodeterioration, mycodegradation and mycoremediation were investigated with regards to the hydrocarbon utilizing potentials of these fungal isolates. A preliminary screening of these fungal isolates for their petroleum hydrocarbon utilizing abilities was carried out by culturing the fungal isolates under fume from crude oil. A total of twenty five fungal isolates from the genus Aspergillus were able to grow under the crude oil fume. These isolates were selected for their ability to biodegrade Crude oil (Co) and four other petroleum products namely Spent Engine oil (SEO), kerosene (kero), diesel and Fresh engine oil (FEO) as well as one vegetable hydrocarbon (oil extracted from I.gabonensis seed- I.O.) using spectrophotometric techniques. The results from this mycodegradation studies showed that the fungi had a significant (p≤0.05) effect on the optical densities of each of the six different hydrocarbon sources at the wavelengths of 530 and 620 nm. The results of the confirmatory studies for the mycodegradation of the different hydrocarbon sources by the fungal isolates conducted on the 40th day showed a Gas Chromatographic (GC) value that indicated a reduction in the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) value for each of the petroleum hydrocarbon compounds thus: Co from 9.84 x 105 to 7.85 x 105 mg/l, SEO from 9.56 x 105 to 8.5 x 105 mg/l, kero from 9.88 x 105 to 8.74 x 105 mg/l, diesel from 9.73 x 105 to 8.35 x 105 mg/l and FEO from 9.8 x 105 to 8.57 x 105 mg/l. There was also a change in the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) level of the vegetable hydrocarbon compound at day forty when compared to what was available at day zero. This result therefore confirms the ability of these organisms to utilize (mycodegrade) petroleum and vegetable hydrocarbon compounds.