Bioremediation of Heavily Oil-Polluted Seawater by a Bacterial Consortium Immobilized in Cocopeat and Rice Hull Powder

We examined the effectiveness of cocopeat and rice hull powder obtained from agricultural wastes as biocarriers for an oil-degrading bacterial consortium. Scanning electron microscopy revealed colonization and strong attachment of bacterial cells on the surface of both carriers. Results of a 60-day in vitro seawater bioremediation trial showed significant oil reduction and high cultivable bacterial counts in treatments augmented with the carrier-attached bacterial consortia compared to treatments supplemented with the same consortium in free living and encapsulated forms. Significant degradations in both aliphatic and aromatic fractions were obtained in treatments augmented with carrier-immobilized consortia. The developed immobilized cells showed sustained activities and viabilities during storage for six months. Results of this study demonstrated that inexpensive waste materials can be utilized as biocarriers of an oil-degrading consortium and that immobilization on biocarriers can enhance the bioremediation of oil-contaminated seawater.