Authors: S.A. Balogun, O.E. Fagade
World Applied Sciences Journal 3 (6): 930-933, 2008
ISSN 1818-4952 IDOSI Publications, 2008
Abstract
Diesel oil impacted tropical soil was screened for the presence of surface-active agent producing
bacteria using the Drop-collapse, the red blood cell haemolysis test and the slide test. The total viable bacteria count of8.6 x 1<t-53 x 10′ cfulgwas recorded in diesel impacted soil while a range of 1.6x 10′-4.0 x 100cfulgwere recorded for unimpacted soil respectively. Oil utilizers were found to be abundant in impacted soil with a mean count of 3.5 x 105cfulg. The highest count of surface active agent producers were recorded in unimpacted soil with a mean population of 1.2 x 10′ cfu/g, compared to 3.0 x 104 cfu/g recorded in diesel impacted soil. The highest ratio of 80% surface active agent’s producers among oil utilizers was recorded in diesel impacted soil. The genera of screened surface active agent producing bacteria and theirincident rates were Bacillus (38%), Pseudomonas (29610), Arthrobacter (11%), Proteus (7%), Corynebacterium (7%), Micrococcus (4%) and Klebsiella (4%).