SCREENING FOR INDIGENOUS BACTERIA WITH HYDROCARBON DEGRADATION POTENTIAL

Oil and gas exploration and production (E & P) are two major activities that causes pollution in the Niger Delta area and environmental damage. There are a lot of waste products from hydrocarbons such as produced water, sludges, absorbent materials which are harmful to humans health, plants, animals and microorganisms when not properly treated and disposed. This can cause health issues like cancer in humans. Micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi play a major role in remediation of hydrocarbons environment. This project is aimed at screening for indigenous hydrocarbon degrading bacteria from hydrocarbon in an artisanal refinery polluted site. Screening bacteria were isolated and screened for their biodegradable potential using these parameters, turbidity, pH, and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH). At the end of the period isolate with the highest turbidity and degradation of TPH were isolated and recommended for bioremediation. The isolates were identified using morphological, biochemical and molecular biological techniques. The isolate were identified as Bacillus velenzesis and Bacillus thurigiensis. These isolates can be preserved and deployed for bioremediation of hydrocarbon polluted sites.