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Hydrocarbon Degradation In Poultry Droppings And Cassava Peels-Amended Typic Paleustults In Southeastern Nigeria


CM Jidere
FOR Akamigbo

Abstract

This greenhouse study was aimed at determining the potentials of poultry droppings (PD) and cassava peels (CP) for nutrient-enhanced biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbon (THC) in a well drained Typic
Paleustults using the THC levels and degradation duration as remediation indices. The performance of the organic amendments was compared against the performance of NPK fertilizer. The soil was contaminated with
crude oil at the rate of 50 t/ha, after which the soil amendments were applied in single and combined forms (25 t PD/ha + 25 t CP/ha, and 50 t PD/ha + 50 t CP/ha), with the control as 0 t/ha (without soil amendment). Soil samples were collected from the contaminated soils at 14, 45, 76, 131 and 201 days after the application of the amendments respectively. There were significant (P = 0.05) effects of the amendments and rates of application on the THC concentrations. A comparison of the effects of PD, CP, NKP fertilizer and PD + CP on the THC concentrations at 201 days showed decrease in the contaminant concentrations in the order: NPK fertilizer < PD < CP + PD < CP < Control. The percent THC degradation at 201 days for 50t CP and 100t CP were 23 % and 24 % respectively, while that of 50t PD and 100t PD were 34 % and 36 % respectively. For soils treated with NPK fertilizer and CP + PD, the percent THC degradation was 40 % and 41 % for 50t NPK and 100t NPK fertilizers respectively, and 26 % and 31 % for 25t CP + 25t PD and 50t CP + 50t PD respectively. The time
required to completely degrade the THC in the soil followed the same trend. Although PD showed great potential for THC degradation, it will take less time to achieve 100 % degradation of THC in NPK fertilizeramended
soil when compared with the other nutrient supplements.

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