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Abstract

In – situ Bioremediation of Petroleum polluted site by enhanced natural attenuation was investigated during a 60 days bioremediation using total culturable hydrocarbon utilizing fungi (HUF), fungal count and gas chromatographic analyses. Composite soil samples were collected from control, pre - remediation, during remediation and after remediation. The total culturable hydrocarbon utilizing fungal count in the polluted soil pre remediation, during remediation, after remediation and the control were 3.03 × 103 ± 0.02 Cfu/g, 1.30 × 104 ± 0.004 Cfu/g, 4.25 × 102 ± 0.04Cfu/g and 5.30 × 103 ± 0.07Cfu/g while the total fungal count were 1.51 × 104 ± 0.03Cfu/g, 1.77 × 105 ± 0.02 Cfu/g, 6.01 × 103 ± 0.06 Cfu/g and 8.15 × 104 ± 0.13Cfu/g, respectively. The physicochemical parameters such as pH, conductivity, total organic carbon, total nitrogen content, total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), total hydrocarbon content, Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and total phosphorus were determined using standard methods. TPH and PAHs in the polluted soil before remediation, during remediation, after remediation and control were 16,618 mg/kg,665.0 mg/kg, 280.0 mg/kg, 277.3 mg/kg and 154.14 mg/kg, 150.0 mg/kg, 26.0 mg/kg, 7.30 mg/kg, respectively. The HUF isolated from the polluted soil before remediation, during remediation, after remediation and control were Candida spp., Candida tropicalis, Candida globrata, Geotrichum candidum, Sepedonium sp., Aspergillus fumigates; Aspergillus niger, Phoma sp., Cladosporium sp., Aspergillus nidulans, Cladophialophora carrionii, Aspergillus spp.; Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Bipolaris spp., Gliocladium sp., Aspergillus niger, Bipolaris sp., Paecilomyces variotii, Aspergillus terrens and Candida glabrata, Trichophyton tonsurans, Rhodotorula spp., Acremonium sp., Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus versicolor, Cladosporium sp., Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Trichophyton terrestre, Trichophyton sp., respectively. The overall data has shown a high level of pollution and that bioremediation enhanced proliferation of HUF with concomitant pollutants attenuation.