Journal of Applied Life Sciences International

The study investigated the effect of triton x-100 and white rot fungus (Pleurotus ostratus) on physico-chemical composition of crude oil impacted soil. Crude oil highly impacted soil excavated from an oil spill site at Obeche community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria was used in this study. Remediation was induced by biostimulation using white rot fungus (Pleurotus  ostreatus) and treatment with a chemical surfactant (Triton x-100). The pH value of polluted soil sample (Cell A) was high (6.81± 0.52) when compared with other cells that were amended. The result of the soil electrical conductivity shows a significant difference (p≤ 0.05) when cell A is compared with other cells. Only cell C amended with Triton x-100 had a lower value of 31.67 ± 1.52 when compared with cell A (polluted soil sample) (76.67 ± 1.52). Cells B and D had higher values of 161.00 ± 2.00, and 233.67 ± 4.04 respectively when compared with cell A (76.67 ± 1.52). Significant (p≤0.05) increase in the total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents was observed amended cells after the 60 days period of incubation when compared with cell A. For PO₄^3- (mg/kg) and NO^-₃ (mg/kg) all the cells were significantly different (p≤ 0.05)           and there was a recognized decrease in their values when compared with the control sample (Cell A). Organic Sulphur values decreased exponentially in all the cells amended (0.10 ± 0.00) when compared with the control cell (A) (15.00 ± 0.00).