INCIDENCE OF ACTINOMYCETES IN PALM OIL EFFLUENT CONTAMINATED SOIL IN BENIN CITY.

ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken with a view of estimating the incidence of Actinomycetes in Palm oil effluent contaminated soil. Soil samples were randomly collected from contaminated soil situated in Palm oil mill factories in PZ area, Benin City. The spread plate technique was used to isolate and enumerate the Actinomycetes on starch casein agar. The population of Actinomycetes in the soil samples ranged from 1.5 x 10⁴cfu/g to 1.9 x 10⁶cfu/g  with a mean of range of 3.22 x10⁴cfu/g to 1.42 x10⁶cfu/g. comparatively, the population was relatively high. Cultural characteristic based on colour revealed that most of the isolates belonged to yellow (39%). Morphological identification by cover slip technique and biochemical tests revealed that the Actinomycetes isolates   were Streptomyces sp, Nocardiasp, Thermoactinomyces sp and Rhodococcus sp. The percentage occurrence of the identified isolates were Streptomyces sp (40%), Nocardia sp, (28%), Thermoactinomyces sp (19%) and Rhodococcus sp (13%). The Streptomyces species had the highest percentage frequency of occurrence. These findings may have implications for the ways in which palm oil effluent polluted soils are managed in the area. In addition, they provide further insight on Actinomycetesas promising ecological niche for bioaccumulation of active metabolites with biotechnological applications.