Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | In situ Bioremediation of crude oil contaminated agricultural fields in Assam |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Arvind Kumar singh, North Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya |
Timeline Start Year : | 2023 |
Timeline End Year : | 2026 |
Contact info : | aksingh_nehu@yahoo.co.in |
Details
Executive Summary : | Hydrocarbon pollution from crude oil extraction poses a significant threat to public and environmental health, contaminating surface and ground water, affecting marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The rise in energy-intensive industries in major economies like India and China further threatens environmental degradation. In situ microbial communities in polluted habitats use hydrocarbons as a source of carbon and energy, leading to bioremediation of polluted soils. However, hydrocarbon biodegradation activity is influenced by temperature, pH, and moisture contents. Bioremediation processes are slow due to limited availability of inorganic nutrients, while high concentrations of these nutrients inhibit the process due to overload. This necessitates in-depth investigation into hydrocarbon degradation kinetics and the abundance and dynamics of hydrocarbonoclastic microbial communities in response to nutrient supplementation in crude oil contaminated soils. A research group has developed hydrocarbonoclastic bacterial consortia efficient in degradation of Assam crude oil in soil sediments under laboratory conditions. The proposal aims to scale-up and apply these laboratory-developed consortia for in situ bioremediation of crude oil contaminated soils and compare their degradation efficiency with native microbial communities in presence and absence of nutrient supplementation. |
Total Budget (INR): | 27,24,832 |
Organizations involved