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. 2015 Dec;5(6):957-965.
doi: 10.1007/s13205-015-0298-1. Epub 2015 Apr 9.

Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons from crude oil-contaminated soil with the earthworm: Hyperiodrilus africanus

O A Ekperusi  1 , F I Aigbodion  2
Affiliations

Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons from crude oil-contaminated soil with the earthworm: Hyperiodrilus africanus

O A Ekperusi et al. 3 Biotech. 2015 Dec.

Abstract

A study on the bioremediation potentials of the earthworm Hyperiodrilus africanus (Beddard) in soil contaminated with crude oil was investigated. Dried and sieved soils were contaminated with 5 ml each of crude oil with replicates and inoculated with earthworms and monitored daily for 12 weeks. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, total organic carbon, sulfate, nitrate, phosphate, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium were determined using standard procedures. Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), while BTEX constituents and earthworms tissues were analyzed using Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID). The results showed that the earthworm significantly enhanced the physicochemical parameters of the contaminated soil resulting in a decrease of the total organic carbon (56.64 %), sulfate (57.66 %), nitrate (57.69 %), phosphate (57.73 %), sodium (57.69 %), potassium (57.68 %), calcium (57.69 %) and magnesium (57.68 %) except pH (3.90 %) that slightly increased. There was a significant decrease in the TPH (84.99 %), benzene (91.65 %), toluene (100.00 %), ethylbenzene (100.00 %) and xylene (100.00 %). Analyses of the tissues of the earthworm at the end of the experiment showed that the earthworms bioaccumulated/biodegraded 57.35/27.64 % TPH, 38.91/52.73 % benzene, 27.76/72.24 % toluene, 42.16/57.85 % ethylbenzene and 09.62/90.38 % xylene. The results showed that the earthworms H. africanus could be used to bioremediate moderately polluted soil with crude oil contamination in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Keywords: Crude oil; Earthworms; Hyperiodrilus africanus; Nigeria; Vermiremediation.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Crude oil
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Earthworm holding container
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Fig. 3
Mixing crude oil into 1 kg of soil
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Experimental setup—three replicates and control
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Physicochemical parameters of crude oil-contaminated soil with earthworms
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Fig. 6
TPH in crude oil-contaminated soil with H. africanus
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Fig. 7
Bioremediation of BTEX in contaminated soil with earthworms
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Bioaccumulation/biodegradation of TPH and BTEX in earthworms
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