Aleruchi Owhonka*

Department of Microbiology, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author: Aleruchi Owhonka, Department of Microbiology, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Received: July 07, 2022; Published: August 09, 2022

Abstract

The effect of season on the microbial quality of oilfield wastewater and the effluent receiving pond was investigated.  Oilfield wastewater and the recipient pond samples were collected from the Ogbogu flow station, Rivers State, Nigeria for one year. The total heterotrophic bacteria, total heterotrophic fungi, hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria, and fungi of the samples were evaluated using standard microbiological methods. The mean range of the total heterotrophic bacterial, hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial, total heterotrophic fungal, and hydrocarbon utilizing fungal counts of the oilfield wastewater effluents was 1.29×10⁸-1.98×10⁸, 1.22×10⁴-1.44×10⁴, 1.5×10⁴-1.8×10^4, and 1.3×10³-2.8×10³CFU/ml, respectively for the dry season and 3.1×10⁷-3.6×10⁷, 2.3×10³-2.8×10³, 1.5×10⁴-1.6×10^4, and 1.2×10³-1.5×10³ CFU/ml, for the rainy season. The mean range of the total heterotrophic bacterial, hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial, total heterotrophic fungal, and hydrocarbon utilizing fungal counts of the pond effluents was 2.42×10⁵-2.73×10⁵, 2.01×10⁵-2.11×10⁵, 2.6×10⁴-3.8×10^4, and 1.5×10³-5.7×10³ CFU/ml, respectively for dry season 4.6×10⁴-5.0×10⁴, 3.0×10³-3.3×10³, 1.5×10⁴-2.8×10^4, and 1.4×10³-1.6×10³ CFU/ml, respectively for the rainy season. Bacillus sp, Aeromonas sp, Micrococcus sp, Staphylococcus sp, Chryseomonas sp, Proteus sp, Pseudomonas sp, Klebsiella sp, Actinomyces sp, Enterobacter sp, Rhodococcus sp, and E. coli were isolated in both samples. Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Geotricum, Fusarium, and Penicillium sp were also isolated from both samples. The HUB, THF, and HUF of the Pond effluent were significantly higher (P ≤ 00.5) than values obtained for the oilfield wastewater effluent. The microbial population in the pond samples was influenced by the seasons and drier months were characterized by higher microbial populations. These organisms would be very useful for bioremediation.

Keywords: Seasonal Variation; Microbial Quality; Oilfield Wastewater; Recipient Pond

References

1. Tüccar T., et al. “Bacterial community composition in produced water of Diyarbakır oil fields in Turkey Bacterial communities in produced waters of south-eastern Turkey was reported in detail for the first time”. Johnson Matthey Technology Review4 (2020): 452-465.
2. Aleruchi O and Obire O. “Response of Soil Microorganisms to Oilfield Wastewater Response of Soil Microorganisms to Oilfield Wastewater”. March (2019).
3. Dembicki H. Introduction, in “Practical Petroleum Geochemistry for Exploration and Production”. Ch. 1, Elsevier Inc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2017): 1-17.
4. Speight JG. “Handbook of Industrial Hydrocarbon Processes”. 2^nd, Elsevier Inc, Cambridge, USA (2020): 786.
5. Olajire AA. “Recent advances in the treatment technology of oil and gas produced water for sustainable energy industry-mechanistic aspects and process chemistry perspectives”. Chemical Engineering Journal Advances 4 (2020): 100049.
6. Isehunwa SO and Onovae S. “Evaluation of produced water discharge in the Niger-Delta Khaled” (2011).
7. Isehunwa SGUSO and Oguamah NUOIU. “Treatment of produced water from Niger Delta oil fields using a simultaneous mixture of local materials”. Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology1 (2021): 289-302.
8. Xie Q., et al. “Seasonal variations of the microbial community in a full-scale oil field produced water treatment plant”. Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management1 (2016): 69-78.
9. Obire O and Amusan FO. “The environmental impact of oilfield formation water on a freshwater stream in Nigeria”. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management 1 (2003): 61-66.
10. Wemedo SA and Obire O. “Acute toxicity test of oilfield wastewater on the bacterial community of soil in Nigeria”. Research Journal of Environmental Toxicology 6 (2012): 25-32.
11. Pichtel J. “Oil and gas production wastewater: Soil contamination and pollution prevention”. Applied and Environmental Soil Science (2016): 1-24.
12. Van Dessel B. “The environmental situation in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, section 5.5.1” (1996).
13. Obire O and Wemedo SA. “Effect of Oil Field Wastewater on the microbial population of soil in Nigeria”. Niger Delta Biologia 1  (1996): 77-85.
14. Wemedo SA., et al. “Bacterial Population of an Oilfield Wastewater in Nigeria”. Asian Journal of Biological Sciences 5 (2012): 46-51.
15. Okpokwasili G C and Nnubia C. “The effects of drilling fluids on marine bacteria from Nigerian offshore oilfield”. Environmental Management 19 (1995): 923-929.
16. Chikere CB., et al. “Biodegradation of artisanally refined diesel and the influence of organic wastes on oil-polluted soil remediation”. Scientific African 8 (2020): e00385.
17. Obire O and Wemedo S A. “Seasonal effect on the bacterial and fungal population of an oilfield waste water-polluted soil in Nigeria”. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management2 (2002).
18. Olanipekun OO., et al. “Comparative Study of Microbial Activities and Biodegradation-Abilities of Undefined Consortium in Some Hydrocarbon Contaminated Sites in the Niger Delta, Nigeria”. February (2015): 138-145.
19. Stanley HO., et al. “Characterization of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria in soil samples collected from various sites in port”. 4.1 (2015): 6-11.

Citation

Citation: Aleruchi Owhonka. “Effect of Season on the Microbial Quality of Oilfield Wastewater and Receiving Pond". Acta Scientific Microbiology 5.9 (2022): 80-86.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2022 Aleruchi Owhonka. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.