ISOLATION OF ACTINOMYCETES IN SOIL FROM MECHANIC WORKSHOPS IN WARRI, DELTA STATE

ABSTRACT

   Isolation Actinomycetes associated with crude oil contaminated soil was carried out. Five different mechanic workshops within Delta State were selected and five soil samples were collected from each site. The physiochemical analysis was carried out on the composite soil sample which includes pH, temperature, and total organic carbon, Nitrate, sulphate, total Nitrogen, phosphate, heavy metals, Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon and all other important parameter needed. The degradation potentials of actinomycetes of crude oil were investigated using standard microbiological procedures. The total heterotrophic count for Actinomycetes ranged from 30×10⁴ cfu/g to 103×10⁴ cfu/g. While the total Hydrocarbon degrading Actinomycetes count ranged from 15×10ᶺ4 cfu/g to 35×10⁴ cfu/g. The total percentage of hydrocarbon degradation for Actinomycetes ranged from 14.56% to 87.5% indicating that each organisms had degradability potential. The preliminary screening test carried out showed that the predominant hydrocarbon degrading actinomycetes were Nocardia sp , Rhodococcus, Streptomyces sp .Results for Crude Oil Degradation by Hydrocarbon Degrading Actinomycetes using Absorbance (A) ranges 0.044nm to 0.53nm. The pH of Hydrocarbon Degrading Actinomycetes ranges from 4.89 to 9.22, while Biodegradation test conducted revealed a range of 6.82% to 49.9% degradation of the crude oil in actinomycetes indicating that each isolate could degrade crude oil.