Degradation of Crude Oil by Indigenous Edible Mushrooms

Aim: The ability of three indigenous fungi, Pleurotus pulmonarius (Fries) Quelet, Pleurotus tuber-regium(Fries) Singers and Lentinus squarrosulus (Mont.) Singer to degrade Crude oil polluted substrate over a period of 15 weeks was investigated. The aim was to assess the extent to which each of the fungi could degrade the hydrocarbon profiles of the crude oil for further use in myco-remediation.

Place and Duration: The research was carried out at the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, University of Port-Harcourt between March 2005 and September 2005.

Methodology: The spawns of the three mushrooms were used to inoculate polluted substrate. At 5 weeks intervals for a period of 15 weeks, samples were removed and analyzed for remnant hydrocarbon.

Results: Oil degradation by the three fungi was observed at different rates. P. pulmonarius degraded crude oil (Aliphatic Hydrocarbon profile (AH) by 51.8% after 10 weeks; 87.4% after 15 weeks and 62.7% after 10 weeks; 71.2% after 15 weeks (Polycyclic aromatic Hydrocarbon profile (PAH)). P. tuber –regium degraded crude oil by 31.1% after 10 weeks; 73.7% after 15 weeks (AH) and 16.1% after 10 weeks; 51.9% at the end of 15 weeks (PAH). Also L. squarrosulus degraded crude oil by 11.0% after 10 weeks; 50% after 15 weeks (AH) and (PAH) by 5.7% and 57.0% after 10 and 15 weeks respectively.

There was significant difference (p≤0.05) in substrates inoculated with fungi, but no significant difference in the control which was not inoculated with fungi.

Conclusion: The tests mushrooms are potential myco-remediation agents.