Biodegradation of Crude Oil Polluted Soil Using Mushroom and Cow Dung

The book center on the potentials of bioremediation in cleaning polluted site, looking at the rate of oil pollution in Nigeria. This research aims at identifying the potentials of mushroom and cow dung in enhancing the biodegradation of crude oil polluted soil. Results indicated that biodegradation of crude oil in the soil treated with the mixture of mushroom, cow dung and sawdust was higher than the ones treated with cow dung or the control experiment, with the percent degradation as 79 % while that of cow dung was 28 %. Statistical analysis using ANOVA indicated a significant difference at P < 0.05. The results also showed that mixture of sclerotia, sawdust and cow dung) significantly decreased the total hydrocarbon content of the soil and improve the nutrient content, by lowering the Carbon: Nitrogen (C: N) ratio which is an index of improved soil fertility. Thus, mixture of sclerotia saw dust and cow dung are suggested for amendment of crude oil polluted sites.