Standardization of used engine oil concentration for analysis of biodegradation potential of Pleurotus sp. MP 5 MCC 1815 - A Scanning Electron Microscope based analysis

Abstract

To broaden the understanding of mycoremediation mechanisms of white rot fungus Pleurotus Sp. MP 5MCC 1815, an attempt was made in the present work for standardization of used engine oil (UEO) foranalysis of its biodegradation potential. Standardization of UEO concentration proceeded via radial plateassay method which revealed that MP 5 displayed highest average colony growth rate (cm/day) thanPleurotus ostreatus MTCC 1804 (Positive test control) recorded as 5.9±0.1 cm/day (P0.05 under t-test) at 2% (v/v) UEO on 7th day) as compared to that of 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2.5% UEO (P0.05 under one-way anova),therefore 2% UEO was standardized for further studies. SEM based analysis was later performed in orderto study the surface characterization of the degraded oil sample which indicated the surface changes occurredduring degradation in fungal treated oil sample and were compared to that of control.