Hydrocarbon Pollution

The present study was undertaken to know the density and diversity of collembolans in Majuli river island during 2015-16. Altogether 1354.55 individuals of Collembola were extracted, which revealed the presence of 5 species viz., Cyphoderus sp., Entomobrya sp., Isotoma sp., Folsomia sp. and Hypogastrura sp. belonging to 4 families viz., Cyphoderidae, Entomobryidae, Isotomidae and Hypogastruridae. Cyphoderus sp. was recorded to be the most abundant species contributing 37.74 percent of population. During the study period, the diversity was recorded to be higher during summer indicating the presence of relatively stable habitats as compared to other seasons. The highest density (196.36 nos./sq.m.) of Collembola was registered during the summer season and the lowest during the winter season (39.09 nos./sq.m.). Monthly variation of collembolan density revealed the maximum population of Collembola during the month of August (206.82 nos./sq.m.) whereas minimum was registered during February (27.27 nos./sq.m). Correlation studies revealed a significant positive correlation of collembolan density and diversity with soil moisture (Density, r= 0.929, 0.923, 0.824 and 0.945); (Diversity, r= 0.702, 0.867, 0.622 and 0.904) and organic carbon (Density, r= 0.873, 0.973, 0.787 and 0.915); (Diversity, r= 0.732, 0.667, 0.735 and 0.843) during all the seasons, respectively. Other soil physicochemical properties viz., sand, silt, clay, soil microbial biomass carbon, pH and bulk density did not exhibited any distinct relationship with both the density and diversity of the collembolans.

The study investigated the importance and image behavior of integrated geophysical methods in mapping contaminant spread beneath the surface of a pollution site in Ogoniland, Southern Nigeria. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) techniques constrained by Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) data were employed to investigate the electrical properties of hydrocarboncontaminated soils that resulted from recent oil spills/leakage into the environment. Five (5) ERT and GPR lines and twenty-nine (29) VES data were acquired at the spill site. Basically, the electrical signatures from the resistivity measurements were able to image the subsurface layers and the associated contamination zone. GPR equally imaged the subsurface stratigraphy to a depth of 10.0 m beneath the surface. The interpretation of the five (5) ERT data showed consistency in the resistivity structure indicative of contaminant plumes with anomalously high electrical resistivity in the range of 1000-10,000 Ωm, a possible indication of hydrocarbon contamination. On the GPR radargram, regions of high electrical resistivities were in agreement with reduced GPR reflection behavior (shadow zones) and were limited to the near surface of the surveyed areas. Vertical electrical sounding delineated layers with high resistivity predominantly within the second and fourth geoelectric layers within pollution depths of 2.4 m and 11.9 m, respectively. As a result, the underground aquifer, relatively between 7.5 and 10.5 m, has been infiltrated by hydrocarbons. It can be seen from the study that geoelectric measurements on the surface can describe the distribution of hydrocarbon resistive zones as well as their conductive behavior that may be linked with the biodegradation of oil spills in the subsurface. Thus, the employment of these integrated methods for contaminant monitoring, hydrogeologic studies and remediation planning reduced the uncertainties, and they are of extensive relevance in mapping the geological behavior of polluted soils in contamination sites.

Hydrocarbons are one of the most important toxics in the oceans. Their presence may cause the death of organisms. They even can affect to the human beings, when they consume products that have been in contact with the hydrocarbons. After a hydrocarbon spillage, the fishing activity, the tourism, the safety and the wildlife are endangered. The fast detection is very important in order to start as soon as possible the cleaning tasks. It can be done using sensor networks. The first step in order to create a water quality monitoring system is to obtain a good hydrocarbon sensor. The sensor must be robust and cheap. There is no needed of high accuracy, the objective is just to detect the presence of the hydrocarbon in the water surface. In this paper, we present a low cost optic sensor capable of distinguishing the presence or absence of hydrocarbon in the water surface. The sensor is formed by light-emitting diode (LED) as a light source and photoreceptor as a receiver. In order to crea...

A survey of soil arthropod fauna inhabiting Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) was carried out from July-September 2012, with a view to determine the diversity and distribution of soil arthropods of the area. Two study stations were identified at the area, namely; Station one (Plantation site) and Station two (Control site). One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven (1877) individual soil arthropods were recorded from both stations. These individuals were represented in 4 classes, 11 orders and 21 families which were collected and extracted using the pitfall trap method and the Berlese Tullgren Extractor Funnel. Data collected from the study stations were subjected to appropriate statistical analyses which included Simpson's index (Ds), the Shannon Wiener index (H'), the Shannon Diversity T-test and Evenness (E) to determine the diversity of the soil arthropod fauna. Station one (Plantation site), was the most diverse station (Ds=2.99) and (H'=1.84) while station two (Control site) having (Ds= 2.94) and (H'= 1.69) is the least diverse station which may be as a result of anthropogenic activities. The Order Hymenoptera and Family Formicidae (50.5%) and (38.7%) respectively were the dominant and abundant group in both stations with the Order Crustacea and Family Armadillidae (22.2%) and (1.63%) respectively were the least dominant and abundant in both stations. The soil arthropod fauna correlated positively with the soil organic carbon (r=0.16), soil moisture content (r= 0.26) and soil pH (r=0.60) while the soil temperature correlated negatively (r=-0.89) in both stations. This implies that soil arthropods increase with increasing soil moisture content and decreasing soil temperature. © JASEM 9 13

The effect of spent lubricating oil on the composition and abundance of soil arthropods in impacted sites compared with natural control sites was assessed in Benin City, Southern Nigeria. The Modified Berlese-Tullgren Funnel method was used for the extraction of soil arthropod fauna. The results showed that altogether, 476 specimens were collected and sorted into four arthropod groups, namely Acarina, Collembola, Hymenoptera and Myriapoda in successive order of abundance at both sites studied. Soil arthropod taxa and abundance were significantly lower (u (2) = 51, P<0.05) at the impacted sites where 10.92% (52) of the total number occurred compared to 89.08% (424) recorded in the natural control site. Significant differences were detected in pH and total hydrocarbon content (THC) between the impacted and control sites, the values of pH and THC were significantly higher (P<0.05) at the impacted site; inversely, the arthropod faunal abundance were lower at the impacted sites. Basically, Myriapoda were most sensitive while Acarina, Collembola and Hymenoptera showed trends of population fluctuation. In general, abundance and richness of species were negatively affected by habitat transformation caused by spent engine oil application. © JASEM

A survey of soil arthropod fauna inhabiting Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) was carried out from July-September 2012, with a view to determine the diversity and distribution of soil arthropods of the area. Two study stations were identified at the area, namely; Station one (Plantation site) and Station two (Control site). One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven (1877) individual soil arthropods were recorded from both stations. These individuals were represented in 4 classes, 11 orders and 21 families which were collected and extracted using the pitfall trap method and the Berlese Tullgren Extractor Funnel. Data collected from the study stations were subjected to appropriate statistical analyses which included Simpson's index (Ds), the Shannon Wiener index (H'), the Shannon Diversity T-test and Evenness (E) to determine the diversity of the soil arthropod fauna. Station one (Plantation site), was the most diverse station (Ds=2.99) and (H'=1.84) while station two (Control site) having (Ds= 2.94) and (H'= 1.69) is the least diverse station which may be as a result of anthropogenic activities. The Order Hymenoptera and Family Formicidae (50.5%) and (38.7%) respectively were the dominant and abundant group in both stations with the Order Crustacea and Family Armadillidae (22.2%) and (1.63%) respectively were the least dominant and abundant in both stations. The soil arthropod fauna correlated positively with the soil organic carbon (r=0.16), soil moisture content (r= 0.26) and soil pH (r=0.60) while the soil temperature correlated negatively (r=-0.89) in both stations. This implies that soil arthropods increase with increasing soil moisture content and decreasing soil temperature. © JASEM 9 13

Soil physicochemical properties (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), % moisture, total organic carbon (TOC), total organic matter (TOM)), total extractable hydrocarbon content (THC), and micronutrient (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn) levels of the Mgbede-20 oil-impacted site in Niger Delta, Nigeria, were investigated. Both oil-impacted and their background control soils were found to be acidic especially at surface depth. A slightly higher EC value of 107.4 AE 15.0 mS cm À 1 was obtained for the subsurface-polluted soils. Of the micronutrients investigated, only Fe exceeded its acceptable limit (> 100 mg/kg). The observed increase in moisture content resulting from the oils aggregation of soil particles may lower soil porosity, and increase resistance to penetration and hydrophobicity. Soil pH can be adjusted by aeration to complete the microbially mediated oxidation of the organic acids, followed by the addition of agricultural lime to provide some buffering capacity to the soil.

Investigations were undertaken at 4 habitat-types (unpolluted, oil-polluted 1year, 3 and 6 years pre-study) in a secondary rainforest, Nigeria, to determine trends in the natural recovery of soil micro-arthropods (mites and Collembolan) in the polluted habitats. Soil samples were taken monthly with an 8.5cm-diameter bucket-type auger over a 2yr-period (May, 2007-April, 2009). Extraction was by the Berlese-Tullgren funnel. Identification was conducted with the aid of standard keys and comparisons of unidentified species with type specimens. Mean Total Hydrocarbon (THC) values were 10mg/kg (undisturbed) 630mg/kg (polluted 1 year pre-study) 260mg/kg (polluted 3 years pre-study) and 125mg/kg (polluted 6years pre-study) habitats. In all habitat-types, Cryptostigmata (Oribatida) were the most abundant mites. Three of the 11 Oribatid species were absent from the habitat polluted, 1-year pre-study but re-colonized the habitat polluted 3 years pre-study, while 4 of the 5 Mesostigmata species re-colonized this habitat. In the habitat polluted 6years pre-study, two more Oribatid species and the Mesostigmata Prodinichidae species re-colonized this habitat. In contrast, approximately 8 years after the oil spill, 5 Oribatid species and the Mesostigmata, Uropopidae spp never recovered. The Collembolan sp Hypogastina, absent from the habitat, polluted 1 year pre-study, re-colonized the habitat, polluted 3 years pre-study. There were significant positive correlations between total mite and collembolan densities and the length of the intervening periods between occurrence of spill and commencement of the study. (F cal =4.63; F tab =3.62; P< 0.05; F cal =7.80; F tab =3.62; P<0.05). The implications of these results in the bio-monitoring of oil-polluted habitats are discussed.

Environmental pollution is a global problem, while bioremediation technology removes pollutants from the environment using microorganisms. This study aimed to investigate how a bioremediation process affected soil humification. In soil polluted with petroleum and its derivatives that was submitted to bioremediation, besides total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and number of microorganisms, quantitative and qualitative changes of isolated humic acids were determined during the process. Bioremediation of 150 m 3 of polluted soil lasted for 150 days. TPH decreased by 86.6 %, while the level of humic acids increased by 26.5 %. The elemental analysis showed the reduction of C and the H/C ratio and the increase of O and the O/C ratio of isolated humic acids during the process. The ratio of absorbances at 465 and 665 nm (E4/E6) also increased. Based on this and the Fourier-transform infrared spectra, it was shown that the humic acids isolated at the end of bioremediation were enriched with oxygen functional groups and aromatic structures. This study provides one of the first insights into the relationship between bioremediation and humification, as well as evidence of how hydrocarbondegrading microorganisms have a significant influence on changes to humic acid structure during bioremediation.

The aim of this work was to ascertain the effects of different types of hydrocarbon pollution on soil microbial properties and the influence of a soil's characteristics on these effects. For this, toxicity bioassays and microbiological and biochemical parameters were studied in two soils (one sandy and one clayey) contaminated at a loading rate of 5% and 10% with three types of hydrocarbon (diesel oil, gasoline and crude petroleum) differing in their volatilisation potential and toxic substance content. Soils were maintained under controlled conditions (50-70% water holding capacity, and room temperature) for six months and several microbiological and toxicity parameters were monitored 1, 60, 120 and 180 days after contamination. The toxic effects of hydrocarbon contamination were greater in the sandy soil. Hydrocarbons inhibited microbial biomass, the greatest negative effect being observed in the gasoline-polluted sandy soil. In both soils crude petroleum and diesel oil contamination increased microbial respiration, while gasoline had little effect on this parameter, especially in the sandy soil. In general, gasoline had the highest inhibitory effect on the hydrolase activities involved in N, P or C cycles in both soils. All contaminants inhibited hydrolase activities in the sandy soil, while in the clayey soil diesel oil stimulated enzyme activity, particularly at the higher concentration. In both soils, a phytotoxic effect on barley and ryegrass seed germination was observed in the contaminated soils, particularly in those contaminated with diesel or petroleum.

Major fertility indices-N, P, K, TOC and TOM contents-were examined against the backdrop of physiccochemical conditions of pH, temperature, moisture content and electrical conductivity of soils three months after oil spillage at Owaza in the Niger Delta region of Southern Nigeria. Evidence of severe hydrocarbon contamination was provided by high extractable hydrocarbon content of 3.4 x 10 3-6.8 x 10 3 mg/kg. High soil acidity (low pH of 4.9-5.1), low electrical conductivity as well as high temperature and moisture content, all provided evidence of reduced metabolic activities on the affected site which explains the relatively low TOC/TOM values obtained. These conditions generally imply low soil fertility, which in turn implies low agricultural productivity and reduced source of livelihood in the affected area. Based on the results obtained, contingency/remedial measures should include the application of appropriate and sufficient inorganic NPK fertilizer to restore the carbon to nutrient ratios to the optimum required to stimulate and sustain microbial activity; adjustment of the pH to 6.0-6.5 by the addition of calcitic lime; stimulation of indigenous microbial growth by cultivating the soil to distribute the nutrients and lime and appropriate aeration of the treatment zone.

The environmental impact of the 1997 leakage of the high-pressure crude-oil pipeline at Isiokpo in the Niger Delta in the southeast of Nigeria was evaluated, with particular reference to total-organic-carbon (TOC) and total-organic-matter (TOM) contents of soils within the vicinity of the oil spillage. The soils, taken from depths of 0 ± 15 cm (surface) and 15 ± 30 cm (subsurface), were found to be more acidic (pH 4.2 ± 5.6) than the unpolluted soils, with a high average moisture content of 6.8%. The extractable hydrocarbon content ranged from 2.71 ± 3.48 mg/kg, indicating hydrocarbon contamination. However, contrary to expectation, the TOC and TOM contents of the polluted soils did not show any significant increase in concentration, supposedly due to natural rehabilitation of the affected mat layer of soils. Thus, notwithstanding the possible proliferation of heterotrophic organisms by the presence of the added petroleum hydrocarbons, environmental conditions such as weathering and climatic predispositions, as well as physico-chemical parameters such as pH, moisture content, and temperature must have encumbered the carbon-mineralizing capacity of the heterotrophs, thereby reducing the turnover of carbon and the decomposition of organic matter. The restrictions by high moisture content might not come directly from H 2 O itself, but are probably a consequence of hindered soil ventilation, which reduces O 2 supply and gaseous diffusion, conditions that might have been substantially aggravated by the added petroleum hydrocarbons.

Six actinomycetes strains from genus Streptomyces isolated from hydrocarbon contaminated soil in Basra, Iraq were selected for their capacity to grow in the presence of crude oil. Their growth rates and biodegradation ability were investigated in mineral salt media supplemented with light crude oil. These strains consist of S. variabilis ( two strains ), S. cellulosae, S. parvus, S. bacillaris and S. flavoviridis.

Petrochemical hydrocarbons are considered to be the most significant environmental pollutants and need to be removed. In present study, the biodegradation of used engine oil and diesel oil was achieved under shake flask conditions using an efficient bacterial consortium A2457: comprising bacterial strains of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus pumilus. The strains were isolated and screened by enrichment technique. The bacterial strains were identified on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence homology. The percent removal and biodegradation of the petrochemicals was evaluated through UV-Vis spectrophotometer and FTIR spectrometry. The bacterial consortium resulted in significant degradation of diesel oil (94.13 %) and used engine oil (99.77 %) under experimental conditions. FTIR spectra of the hydrocarbons, before and after biodegradation experiments, also revealed significant changes in the characteristic peaks in the wavenumber range of 4000-600 cm −1. The consortium displayed significant biosurfactant production and lipase activity during 28 days of incubation and reduced the surface tension of culture medium to 27.95 ± 0.3 mN m −1. The petrochemical hydrocarbon degradation by the bacterial consortium: A2457 of present Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

Research on environmental bioremediation has intensified in recent years because of continuously increase in environmental pollution accidents. Scientists taking advantages of the microbial astonishing steps involved in metabolism and breakdown of toxic macromolecules to clean up our environment from pollutants. In this work some antibiotic producing Streptomyces inhabiting contaminated soil with crude petroleum ``near Shiwashok oil field-Koya`` were isolated, and characterized based on the morphological properties and sequence analysis of 16s rRNA coding region. The ability of the isolates was screened for antibiotic production by in vitro antagonism against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Although the isolates were able to survive as free living organisms in the petroleum contaminated soil, however only one isolate was able to grow and reduce the toxic hydrocarbons content in a synthetic media contains crude petroleum as a sole source of carbon. Mutation in the rpoB gene...

Pollution of marine environment affects the biosphere leading to severe consequences. Bioremediation of marine pollutants mediated by actinomycetes is viable and a low cost preposition. Marine actinomycetes, in consortia and axenic culture, are highly effective means of degradation of pollutants like petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), oil spills, heavy metals, pesticides, and plastics. The bioremediation strategies adapted by the actinomycetes include degradation, biostimulation, and bioaugmentation. The actinomycetes genera involved are Rhodococcus, Streptomyces, Nocardiopsis, Actinopolyspora, Gordonia, Dietzia, Janibacter, and Micromonospora. Many environmental factors, such as pH, availability of the pollutants, aerobic environment, toxicity of the pollutant, and microbial diversity affect the bioremediation. There are many chemical, physical, and biological methods which can accelerate the efficiency of the bioremediation.

Bioremediation of crude oil contaminated soil eventually depends on the activities of microorganisms to degrade contaminants. Bioaugmentation, through the addition of microbial culture to contaminated soil, can be used to enhance degradation rates. This research aimed to determine the effect of yeast formulations isolated from the oil-contaminated soil and mangrove rhizosphere to degrade crude oil and evaluate the most effective yeast formulation and incubation timefor crude oil degradation. This research was conducted by subculturing yeast in the slant agar medium, screening hydrocarbonoclastic yeast in crude oil-Bushnell Hass Mineral Salt (BHMS) medium, biodegradation test, measuring the total cell number with Total Plate Count (TPC), Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) test with the gravimetric method, and measuring soil moisture content. The design of the research was Completely Randomized Factorial Design with 3 replications. Data were analyzed quantitatively by using statistical tests for TPC and TPH, while a descriptive qualitative test analyzed soil moisture. The result showed that yeast formulation and incubation time affected crude oil degradation. An effective yeast consortium for oil degradation is T20 consortium with an incubation period of 30 days, which result in 72.26 % oil degradation.

Accidental or deliberate spillage of crude oil into the environment is leading to serious pollution problems. Therefore, these areas of oil pollution can be decontaminated by microorganisms. However, biological degradation capabilities of oil and its derivatives, also their effect on living organisms and on the environment varies. Microorganisms that degrade oil hydrocarbons are found in almost all types of soil; however, their existence does not guarantee the effective degradation of oil pollutants. In order to evaluate capabilities of newly developed SORBENT bacterial preparation (SBP) to degrade heavy hydrocarbons, degradation dynamics was observed in different soil types: loam, clay and sand, using crude oil and fuel oil mixture (1 : 1). Therefore, correlation between the intensity of oil component degradation and temperature as well as a correlation between the intensity of oil fraction degradation and the amount of SBP were evaluated. According to experimental data, soil samples polluted with heavy hydrocarbons and treated with SBP, during the first 9 weeks of biodegradation were composed of: up to 20-30% of alkanes, 30-50% of aromatic compounds, 50-60% of resins and 9-44% of asphaltenes. The investigations revealed that less polluted soil (up to 100 g/kg) treated with microorganisms was degraded almost 6 times better than heavily polluted soil (350 g/kg). Therefore, it can be stated that SBP is very effective in the degradation of all types of oil hydrocarbons, including resins and asphaltenes, which are known as the most difficult ones to degrade. This paper reflects findings from the EU funded 7th Framework programme project "SORBENT" (232533).

Microbial populations' inhabitants in crude petroleum contaminated soils were analyzed in relation with the soil characteristics. A noticeable greater decline of bacterial counts and diversity but a prevalence of the genus Pseudomonas over the other identified genera in the fresh contaminated soils as compared to the old ones was observed.

In view of the pollution of the underground water, economic loss, decreased in agricultural productivity of soil, poor animal and human health caused by contamination of soil with used and unused motor oil, a study was conducted for bioremediation of used motor oil contaminated soil by using elephant and horse dung as stimulants in five microcosms labeled M 1 to M 5, at room temperature. In this study, the bioremediation potentials of these animal wastes were evaluated for six (6) weeks by taking samples from each of the microcosms for weekly analysis of Oil and Grease Content (O&G) and Total Heterotrophic Bacteria Count (THBC). After six (6) weeks, the results showed that M 4 , M 3 , M 5 , M 2 and M 1 exhibited 84%, 79%, 75%, 45% and 38% used oil degradation, respectively. Hence, all the biostimulants showed the ability to stimulate the growth of microorganisms for used motor oil degradation. The biodegradation data were fitted to first and second order kinetic equations and the biodegradation constant (k) and half-life (t 1/2) values obtained from all the kinetics showed that the order in which the biostimulants biodegrade the used motor oil contaminated soil was M 4 > M 3 > M 5 > M 2 > M 1. From this work, it can be concluded that the application of elephant dung (M 4), horse dung (M 3) and the combination of the two (M 5) stimulate the growth of microorganisms that enhanced the degradation of the pollutant in the polluted soil with elephant dung (M 4) being the most effective. Thus, can be applied to develop an environmentally safe and robust treatment strategy for used motor oil contaminated soil.

In view of the pollution of the underground water, economic loss, decreased in agricultural productivity of soil, poor animal and human health caused by contamination of soil with used and unused motor oil, a study was conducted for bioremediation of used motor oil contaminated soil by using elephant and horse dung as stimulants in five microcosms labeled M 1 to M 5, at room temperature. In this study, the bioremediation potentials of these animal wastes were evaluated for six (6) weeks by taking samples from each of the microcosms for weekly analysis of Oil and Grease Content (O&G) and Total Heterotrophic Bacteria Count (THBC). After six (6) weeks, the results showed that M 4 , M 3 , M 5 , M 2 and M 1 exhibited 84%, 79%, 75%, 45% and 38% used oil degradation, respectively. Hence, all the biostimulants showed the ability to stimulate the growth of microorganisms for used motor oil degradation. The biodegradation data were fitted to first and second order kinetic equations and the biodegradation constant (k) and half-life (t 1/2) values obtained from all the kinetics showed that the order in which the biostimulants biodegrade the used motor oil contaminated soil was M 4 > M 3 > M 5 > M 2 > M 1. From this work, it can be concluded that the application of elephant dung (M 4), horse dung (M 3) and the combination of the two (M 5) stimulate the growth of microorganisms that enhanced the degradation of the pollutant in the polluted soil with elephant dung (M 4) being the most effective. Thus, can be applied to develop an environmentally safe and robust treatment strategy for used motor oil contaminated soil.

Soil pollution, particularly of petroleum hydrocarbons and lead contamination, has become increasingly concerned due to rapid urbanization and industrial development. Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon pollution using microorganisms is a promising solution due to the absence of secondary contamination. In this study, two bacterial isolates (B-7 and B-10), with distinctive colony characteristics, were screened from petroleum contaminated soil collected in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China. Using 16S rRNA sequencing technique and biochemical analyses, B-7 and B-10 were identified to be closely related to Achromobacter denitrificans, and Mycolicibacterium phocaicum N4, respectively. Petrol degrading rates of the two isolates were determined by UV-visible spectrophotometer in this study. With consideration of recovery rate and background evaporation rate, in the absence of lead, in a five-day interval study, the petrol degradation rate of B-7 and B-10 was observed at approximately 2.4g petrol/L for both isolates. Co-contamination with lead at 1, 5, 10 and 20ppm significantly inhibited petrol degrading potential of both isolates, with B-10 demonstrated significantly higher lead tolerance. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effects of other abiotic factors, such as pH, temperature, nutrient contents and concomitant exposure to other pollutants and biotic factors, such as microbial community, on the petroleum hydrocarbons degrading efficiency of these isolates.

M angroves are coastal wetland forests mainly found at the intertidal zone of estuaries, back waters, deltas, creeks, lagoons and mudflats of tropical latitudes. According to the latest estimate by the Forest Survey of India (FSI, 2013), the total mangrove area is approximately 4,628 km 2 in India, out of which, 604 km 2 occurs in An-daman and Nicobar Islands (Damroy and Krishnan, 2005; Ragavan et al., 2015). Fertility of the mangrove sediment results from the microbial decomposition of organic matter and recycling of nutrients (Sahoo, 2009). The activities of bacteria include nitrogen fixation, methanogenesis, and production of antibiotics, enzymes and human pathogens. The mangrove environment is a potent source for the isolation of antibiotic producing Actinobacteria, the

High G + C gram positive bacteria are in the phylum Actinobacteria. Many bacteria in this phylum are highly pleomorphic in their morphology; the genera (examples : Corynebacterium and Gardnerella ) several genera such as Streptomyces grow only as extended, often branching filaments. Several important pathogenic genera are found in the Actinobacteria, such as the Mycobacterium species causing tuberculosis is and leprosy.

In present world explosion and expansion of pollution is an important catastrophe. There has been an intense investigation on the impacts of pollution on environment which has led to find out the measures for their remediation. In the present work diesel degrading bacterial strains were isolated and screened by streaking a total of 21 bacterial isolates obtained from oil contaminated soil over Bushnell Haas Agar supplemented with 1% (v/v) filter sterilized Diesel as sole carbon source. Efficient diesel degrading bacterial strains 1A, 3E, 4F and 4H were found and identified as Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus megaterium respectively based on phenotypic, biochemical and 16s rRNA phylogenetic analysis. Hydrocarbon degradation analysis of extracted diesel oil from contaminated soil was done using GCMS, to evaluate the degradation of various components with respect to time by different diesel degrading strains which showed almost total disappearance of the corresponding peak of each compound present in diesel oil. So this study reveals that microorganisms degrading hydrocarbon pollutants are ubiquitously present and can be isolated for bioremediation purpose and it also adds on in the pool of information regarding bioremediation by microorganisms.

Background: Endophytic non-streptomycetes group of actinomycetes from Hibiscus rosasinensis leaves were screened for biosurfactant, polythene, plastic, and diesel biodegradation activities. Biosurfactant activity was evaluated by hemolysis, drop-collapsing test, lipase production, oil-spreading technique, bacterial adhesion to hydrocarbon (BATH) assay, penetration assay, and emulsification assay. Similarly, polythene, plastic, and diesel biodegradation activity were also carried out. Findings: Among the five non-streptomycetes isolates, only one newly found actinomycete isolate named as A9 exhibited significant biosurfactant and biodegradation activity. Based on Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology, the strain A9 was similar to Nocardiopsis sp. Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis support the classification of the isolate as a new strain which was named as Nocardiopsis sp.mrinalini9. The isolate was closely related to the type strain of Nocardiopsis synnemataformans sharing a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 99%. The partial 16S rRNA sequence of the isolate (1061 bp) was deposited in Genebank under the accession number KF909126. Still, DNA-DNA hybridizations, phenotypic comparisons, and chemotaxonomic analysis need to be performed to confirm its novelty. Conclusion: It is evident from the study that rare endphytes associated with medicinal plants has got excellent hydrocarbon biodegradation capacity.

In view of the pollution of the underground water, economic loss, decreased in agricultural productivity of soil, poor animal and human health caused by contamination of soil with used and unused motor oil, a study was conducted for bioremediation of used motor oil contaminated soil by using elephant and horse dung as stimulants in five microcosms labeled M 1 to M 5, at room temperature. In this study, the bioremediation potentials of these animal wastes were evaluated for six (6) weeks by taking samples from each of the microcosms for weekly analysis of Oil and Grease Content (O&G) and Total Heterotrophic Bacteria Count (THBC). After six (6) weeks, the results showed that M 4 , M 3 , M 5 , M 2 and M 1 exhibited 84%, 79%, 75%, 45% and 38% used oil degradation, respectively. Hence, all the biostimulants showed the ability to stimulate the growth of microorganisms for used motor oil degradation. The biodegradation data were fitted to first and second order kinetic equations and the biodegradation constant (k) and half-life (t 1/2) values obtained from all the kinetics showed that the order in which the biostimulants biodegrade the used motor oil contaminated soil was M 4 > M 3 > M 5 > M 2 > M 1. From this work, it can be concluded that the application of elephant dung (M 4), horse dung (M 3) and the combination of the two (M 5) stimulate the growth of microorganisms that enhanced the degradation of the pollutant in the polluted soil with elephant dung (M 4) being the most effective. Thus, can be applied to develop an environmentally safe and robust treatment strategy for used motor oil contaminated soil.

The contamination of the environment (topsoil, shallow sediments, and aquifers) with oil contaminants resulted during more than seven decades in areas of the refineries located at the outskirts of Ploiești city, Romania.
Geoelectrical resistivity methods (VES and ERT) performed on profiles located in the vicinity of Petrobrazi and Petrotel refineries proved to be the most effective in locating the underground contamination by high resistivity anomalies.
The high resistivity anomalies associated with the oil-contaminated plumes are locally interrupted and also characterized by variations in intensity. Such aspects are interpreted to be associated with inhomogeneities in compaction of the geological formations that host the aquifer and the floating oil contaminant. Local changes in the shallow geological structure affect the degree of underground contamination and induce supplementary difficulties in the interpretation of geoelectric results.

ABSTRACT This paper describes 2 case studies of long-term geoelectrical monitoring of aquifer contamination: a marine intrusion generated by excessive exploitation of drinking water in the Costinesti resort (located on the Romanian Black Sea shore), and contamination resulting from natural meteoric water infiltrations along a fault system in the vicinity of Brazi oil refinery (Ploiesti region, Romania). Both the long-term monitoring of the marine intrusion and the determination of meteoric water infiltrations along faults were confirmed by data obtained from hydrogeological wells. A potential method for simulating the apparent resistivity anomalies within this context (media with a continuous variation of the resistivity) is represented by the application of harmonic alpha media theory.

The potential effects of sawdust, and mixture of cow and sheep dung to biostimulant autochthonous microflora and
augmentation for hydrocarbon bioremediation were investigated in test biopile, made of soil polluted with
petroleum waste 100kg. The soil was fluffed by 1.5% sawdust, then supplemented with the necessary minerals and
watered to provide conditions favoring microorganism growth. industrial aeration was provided in pile by
drainage-pip network to simulate bioremediation treatments through a 90- day period. During this period, we
monitored total petroleum hydrocarbons and changes in bacterial communities. The (TPHs) had been reduced from
52 to 10.6 g.kg-1. In soil, the dominant microorganism population comprised Gram-positive bacteria from
actinomycete group and autochthonous microorganisms which decompose hydrocarbons reached highest level 1.6 x
107 cfu.g-1 at 45 days. Based on these data, we conclude that is ex situe (Biopile) experiment the best strategy,
inexpensive, efficient, and environmentally friendly and may thus offer a viable choice for petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated soil remediation.

Some oil-impacted sites at Ikarama community Niger Delta (Nigeria) were investigated for
arthropod abundance and analyzed for total extractable hydrocarbon content and some
physicochemical characteristics. The Arthropods were extracted at varied soil depths of 0-10cm, 10-
20cm and 20 – 30cm from soils exposed to just about equal concentration of crude oil (50 litres). Oilimpacted
sites were tagged according to the time of occurrence of spill, Site A - 7 months after spill,
Site B – 19 months after spill and Site C - 38 months after spill, while Site D was control. Samples were
collected for 24 months. A total of 4,118 individuals of Collembola were collected and classified into
families and genera. The order Collembola (class Insecta) consisted of five families, namely:
Entomobryidae, Onchiuridae, Sminthuridae, Hypogastruridae and Isotomidae and eleven genera. Soil
arthropod abundance (mean per gram) of sample at all soil depths was statistically significant (P < 0.05)
in Site D but not significant (P > 0.05) in the impacted sites (Site A, B and C) in all soil depths. Some
physicochemical parameters such as Total Hydrocarbon Content (THC), soil pH and soil moisture
content in all soil depths and in all sites sampled were significant (P < 0.05). Multiple correlation matrices
(R) of Collembola abundance and THC and soil pH showed negative correlation only in oil impacted
sites at all depths but correlation matrices in Site D (control) was positive. Soil moisture content
correlation matrices values were positively correlated in all soil depths and in all sites sampled. Time
course contributed in the abundance and distribution of Collembola species that inhabit a typical
tropical rain forest soil that have been impacted by series of oil spills. Some Collembola species
exhibited diverse preferences to crude oil spillage and affinity and differences to some soil
physicochemical parameters

Six actinomycetes strains from genus Streptomyces isolated from hydrocarbon contaminated soil in Basra, Iraq were selected for their capacity to grow in the presence of crude oil. Their growth rates and biodegradation ability were investigated in mineral salt media supplemented with light crude oil. These strains consist of S. variabilis ( two strains ), S. cellulosae, S. parvus, S. bacillaris and S. flavoviridis.

Bioremediation, a process that utilizes the capability of microorganism to degrade toxic waste, is emerging as a promising technology for the treatment of soil and groundwater contamination. The technology is very effective in dealing with petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. The aim of this study was to examine the composition of the microbial consortium during the ex situ experiment of bioremediation of soil heavily contaminated with crude oil and its products from the Oil Refinery Pančevo, Serbia. After a 5.5-month experiment with biostimulation and bioventilation, the concentration of the total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) had been reduced from 29.80 to 3.29 g/kg (89 %). In soil, the dominant microorganism population comprised Gram-positive bacteria from actinomycete-Nocardia group. The microorganisms which decompose hydrocarbons were the dominant microbial population at the end of the process, with a share of more than 80 % (range 10 7 CFU/g). On the basis of the results, it was concluded that a stable microbial community had been formed after initial fluctuations.

The marine sponge Spirastrella cuspidifera Lamarck shows a remarkable capacity to concentrate cobalt-60 from its environment, the specific activity of the radionuclide being two orders of magnitude higher than that in the ambient water. This suggests a very slow equilibrium with stable cobalt. The chemical form of the deposited cobalt-60 has been investigated in S. cuspidifera collected from coastal waters in the vicinity of a nuclear power station. The majority of the cobalt-60, 75 to 85%, is readily extractable into distilled water. Chromatographic analysis of this soluble fraction shows that about 85% of the cobalt is present as a small-molecular weight complex of low stability. No binding to any specific protein could be identified. The possible mechanism for the preferential uptake of cobalt-60 by this species of sponge is discussed.

Actinomycetes as a potent organism for the production of biosurfactants in remediating heavily polluted soils. Emulsification index and biosurfactant production are comparatively higher than other microbial strains available for bioremediation. Incorporating such consortia of actinomycete strains into highly polluted soils can mitigate the problem of pollution.

Erwinia chrysanthemi is a phytopathogenic bacterium causing soft rot disease in several agricultural products. Conventional techniques used in the control of this phytopathology have serious limitations due to the emergence of resistant strains and the undesirable effect on the environment of chemical treatments. In this work, we report the isolation of an actinomycete strain from a Moroccan biotope that inhibits the growth of Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937VIII. PCR amplification and DNA sequencing of the 16 S ribosomal RNA gene allowed the identification of this strain as Streptomyces cinereoruber. The concentrated culture supernatant of this actinomycete strain exhibited activity against the growth of Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937VIII and two Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus amylolitiquefaciens, but had no effect on other Gram-negative bacteria tested (Erwinia carotovora 197stp R, Escherichia coli TG1 and Pseudomonas sp.), suggesting that this actinomycete strain secretes into the extracellular medium a substance that inhibits selectively the growth of other bacteria, especially the phytopathogenic Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937VIII. The antibacterial activity of Streptomyces cinereoruber found in this study highlights the importance of actinomycetes strains as candidates for the biological control of pathogenic bacteria. The identification and characterization of the active substance would open the way for further technological and therapeutic investigations.