Crude Oil Degradation Using Spent Mushroom Compost (SMC) of Pleurotus florida

This paper investigated the effectiveness of spent mushroom compost (SMC) of Pleurotus florida in the biodegradation of crude oil contaminated soil for a period of 42 days. The crude oil contaminated soil was supplemented with different concentrations of the SMC of P. florida throughout the period of study. Microbiological and physicochemical parameters including Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) content were monitored from the baseline to the 42nd day. Results showed significant decreases in the physicochemical parameters during the study period. The percentage loss of TPH at the end of the investigation was 90.09%. The hydrocarbon utilising bacterial isolates were Bacillus sp, Pseudomonas sp, Flovobacterium sp, Micrococcus sp and Arthrobacter sp. The hydrocarbon utilizing fungal isolates were Penicillium sp, Fusarium sp, Sacchoromyces sp, Microsporum sp, Cryptococcus sp and Mucor sp. This study showed that SMC of Pleurotus florida is an effective nutrient source for biodegradation.