This study investigated the improvement of bioremediation kinetics of crude oil-contaminated water utilizing maize bran as nutrient support in combination with Aspergillus niger fungus. The proximate analysis revealed that maize bran contains essential macro- and micronutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sodium, iron, cellulose, lignin, and proteins, which provide a rich nutrient matrix for microbial activity. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of functional groups that support microbial growth and hydrocarbon degradation. Bioremediation experiments were conducted by introducing Aspergillus niger and maize bran into crude oil-polluted water and monitoring parameters such as pH, microbial population, and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) over 35 days. Results showed a significant reduction in TPH, demonstrating enhanced microbial degradation compared to the control setup without maize bran. Kinetic modeling revealed that the biodegradation process fitted well with both first-order and second-order models, with correlation coefficients (R²) greater than 0.8, indicating reliable predictive performance. The rate constants further validated maize bran's efficiency in accelerating crude oil degradation. The findings suggest that organic biocarriers like maize bran offer a sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to inorganic fertilizers in hydrocarbon bioremediation by supplying nutrients that stimulate microbial growth.
O.Ugwuoke et al. (Thu,) studied this question.