Crude Oil Biodegradation Performance in Natural Seawater of a Trichoderma species from Decaying Mangrove Wood in East Kalimantan

Sitompul Afrida *

School of Engineering Science, Kochi University of Technology, Kami City, Kochi, 782-8502, Japan and STT Migas, Jalan Soekarno Hatta Km. 8, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, 76125, Indonesia.

Prapti Ira Kumalasari

STT Migas, Jalan Soekarno Hatta Km. 8, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, 76125, Indonesia.

Jan Friadi Sinaga

STT Migas, Jalan Soekarno Hatta Km. 8, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, 76125, Indonesia.

Amiruddin

STT Migas, Jalan Soekarno Hatta Km. 8, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, 76125, Indonesia.

Dede Heri Yuli Yanto

Research Center for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Soekarno Science and Technology Park, Cibinong Science Center, Jalan Raya Bogor Km. 46, Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, Indonesia.

Sakae Horisawa

School of Engineering Science, Kochi University of Technology, Kami City, Kochi, 782-8502, Japan.

Yutaka Tamai

Department of Forest Science, Hokkaido University, N9W9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8589, Japan.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.


Abstract

Large-scale petroleum production poses environmental and human health risks, particularly due to petroleum contamination in marine environments. The aim of this study was to isolate and screen fungi inhabiting decaying mangrove wood in East Kalimantan with their ability to degrade crude oil in seawater. In the initial step, fungi were isolated using standard methods and screened for crude oil degradation and biomass production. Selected fungi were based on their significant biomass production. Subsequently, the selected fungus was cultured in three types of media based on natural seawater and crude oil at initial concentrations ranging from 1% to 5% (v/v). The biodegradation of crude oil was assessed spectrophotometrically at 420 nm. Out of the 17 decaying wood fungi, MG-07 exhibited significantly higher biomass production compared to the control medium (without crude oil). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis indicated that MG-07 degraded 20%–80% of the normal aliphatic compounds in the tested crude oils within 2 weeks. Furthermore, the growth and degradation efficiency of MG-07 was significantly enhanced when cultured in a natural seawater medium containing crude oil, supplemented with glucose (20 g/L) and Tween 80 (1% v/v). The highest observed biomass gains were 867%, with a biodegradation efficiency of 31.6% at a crude oil concentration of 1%. MG-07 was identified as Trichoderma sp. based on the internal transcribed spacer region. The results obtained from this study demonstrate that MG-07 has significant potential for degrading crude oil in saline environments. These findings provide valuable insights for the application of fungi in marine oil spill remediation.

Keywords: Marine environment, bioremediation, fungi, biodegradation, petroleum, health risks, coastal area, mangrove forests


How to Cite

Afrida, Sitompul, Prapti Ira Kumalasari, Jan Friadi Sinaga, Amiruddin, Dede Heri Yuli Yanto, Sakae Horisawa, and Yutaka Tamai. 2024. “Crude Oil Biodegradation Performance in Natural Seawater of a Trichoderma Species from Decaying Mangrove Wood in East Kalimantan”. International Journal of Plant & Soil Science 36 (5):450-62. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijpss/2024/v36i54542.