Effects of Palm Oil Mill Effluent on Lipolytic Bacteria

Student: Kelechi Jennifer Uche (Project, 2025)
Department of Microbiology
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A good quality soil is characterized by adequate nutrients as a result of abundant nutrients cycling bacteria. Most soil in Nigeria has been subjected to different kinds of pollutants resulting from anthropogenic activities which have become a major threatening factor to the quality of soil. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of palm oil effluent on lipolytic bacteria in soil sample. A total of 30 composite soil samples were aseptically collected from urinating sites at Uli community using a sterile soil auger. The samples were analyzed for Lipolytic Bacterial Count (LBC) and Total Heterotrophic Aerobic Bacterial Count (THABC) using standard plate technique. The predominant bacterial isolates that aided nutrients cycling were appropriately characterized, and their densities in both impacted and non-impacted soil samples were enumerated. Also, the bacterial isolates were characterized based on macroscopy, microscopy, and biochemical characteristics. There was an increase in the LBC and THABC in the impacted soil, and Gram negative rods such as Pseudomonas and Klebsiella species and Micrococcus species (Gram positive) were the bacterial isolates. The study has revealed that palm oil effluent in the soil increases microbial activities, which invariably increases soil fertility.

Keywords
bacterial characterized nutrients samples isolates quality cycling bacteria activities effluent soil quality pollutants
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