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ABSTRACT
The research work was carried out to investigate the effect of produced formation water on soil nitrifying bacteria and earthworm. Soil samples for isolation of nitrifying bacteria using Winogradsky agar were obtained by digging to a depth of 6cm while earthworms were collected by digging soil and hand sorting at University of Benin Botanical farm. Three (3) samples each of produced formation water (PFW) were collected directly from three selected categories of oil and gas reservoirs. The samples which were collected at an interval of seven-days for each reservoir were collected with sterile 250ml bottles with stopper and transported to the laboratory for further analysis. The microbial analysis of produced formation water samples showed the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus and Yeast and Aspergillus niger. Physicochemical parameters of PFW analysed shows neutral pH (6.33), high electrical conductivity (960.6 S/cm), lower than accepted temperature (28.46 oC), total dissolved solids (TDS) (756mg/l), dissolved oxygen of 4.6mg/l, and higher than accepted value of nitrate (52.1mg/l), sulphate, lead, chromium, cadmium and copper. The PFW treatment was observed to increase nitrate content and optical density of receiving soil. The treatment progressively decreased the Nitrobacter count across the seven days and decreased earthworm survival as the % treatment increases. It is evident from this study that produced formation water negatively impacts the receiving soil and its organisms in several ways. Although the soil is subject to self-initiated bioremediation a while after exposure to formation water or other pollutants, the soil may suffer grievously if it is consistently exposed to such discharges. Government and regulatory bodies should therefore strengthen the sensitization of these oil companies on the damage the discharge, if not properly treated, does to the receiving environment and consequentially, to the ecosystem. Also, the masses need to be enlightened on proper distancing of their land for farm use from discharge point of formation water.
