The efficiency of different bioremediation processes was
assessed in diesel-contaminated soils. The greatest TPHs
degradation, 96.1% and 95%, were obtained when the soil
was amended with pea straw alone and in combination with
a hydrocarbonoclastic, respectively. Meanwhile, natural
attenuation resulted in a significantly lower (TPHs) reduction of 76%. The presence of pea straw also led to a significantly increased recovery of hydrocarbon degraders.
Metagenomics analysis showed that original soil contained
hydrocarbon degraders (e.g. Pseudoxanthomonas spp. and
Alcanivorax spp.). However, they require a biostimulant (in
this case pea straw) to become active (Koshlaf et al. 2016).
Microorganisms were also isolated and identified from
contaminated soil samples obtained from an oil refinery
(Zawia). They were identified as Pseudomonas putida,
Pseudomonas species, Betaproteobacterium, Actinomyces
species, and Bacillus species. Among the five species tested,
Pseudomonas putida showed superior performance in terms
of growth on hydrocarbons (1.0 Â 10
10 CFU/ml), emulsifying activity (86%), and ability to transform hydrocarbons
in pure culture. P. putida also showed a decrease in heavy
hydrocarbon fractions, demonstrating a clear potential for
this microbe to be used as a soil inoculant in bioremediation
(Althalb and Ian 2017).
7.7 Conclusion
Reviewing these brief summaries from studies and research
may give a general idea of Libya’s location and climate, as
well as the environmental conditions prevailing in the
region, which characterize Libya by a biological diversity of
different living organisms. In summation, the most important
challenges to biological activity in Libyan soil are drought,
salinity, and high temperatures prevailing in arid and
semi-arid regions that are waiting for more solutions.
Through the intensity of studies and research in the three
regions (east, west, and south) in the field of soil microbiology, one can assess the extent of interest in this field. What
has been presented here is only a small selection of the
hundreds of research studies that have been previously and
recently published and carried out on soil microbiology.
Many of these studies were inaccessible either because they
were not published or were published in reviewed journals
but unavailable online, in addition to hundreds of masters
and doctoral thesis, discussed in the past four decades.
Acknowledgements First of all, we would like to extend our sincere
thanks and gratitude to Dr. Hamdi A. Zurqani, who gave us the
opportunity to write this part of the book and participate in it through
our contribution to collecting as much data and studies as possible that
were previously published. We would also like to express deep
appreciation to him for his great efforts in following this book patiently
and with great interest until the final stage, in addition to his contribution to the linguistic amendments and corrections.We would also like
to express our gratitude and deep appreciation to Dr. Mikael Youssef Al
Fitouri, a professor at Omar Al-Mukhtar University (Al Bayda—Al
Jabal Al Akhdar—Libya) for his cooperation and assistance in
obtaining some references and research in the eastern region of Libya.
Thanks also go to everyone who supported this work and helped to
accomplish it, and to everyone who provided advice or assistance that
contributed to its achievement.
References
Abdallah NS, Saeed MA, Elsanousi OM (2005a) Isolation and
identification of phython pathogenic fungi accompanied with seeds
of some leguminous species. Al-Mukhtar J Sci 12:83–100
Abdallah NS, Saeed MA, Saleh AM (2005b) Chemical control of
Fusarium solani isolated from Local–Bean seeds in laboratory and
in greenhouse conditions. Al-Mukhtar J Sci 12:101–114
Abdallah NS (2006) Isolation and pathogenicity test for pathogenic
fungi carried on some chickpea cultivars growing at Al Jabal Al
Akhdar. Al-Mukhtar J Sci 13:90–98
Abdulla NS (2007) Biological control to some seed born fungal
pathogens on some legumes. Al-Mukhtar J Sci 14:91–114
Abdelnaby M, Elnesairy NNB, Mohamed SH, Alkhayali YA (2015)
Symbiotic and phenotypic characteristics of rhizobia nodulaing
cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata L. Walp) grown in arid region of Libya
(Fezzan). J Environ Sci Eng 4:227–239
AL-Ani, Mehjin AM (2016) Distribution of the arbuscular mycorrhizal
fungi in Al Jabal Al akhdar area, east Libya. Kirkuk University.
J Sci Stud (11)3:115–135
Al Hammadi ESM (2014) Identification the impact of growth of
different plants on the microbial community in both soil and
rhizosphere. Assiut J Agric Sci 45(5):90–102
Al Hammadi ESM (2015) Study the effect of insecticides commonly
used locally on the bacteria of economic importance in the soil. Ass
Univ Bull Environ Res 18(1):29–42
Al-Idrissi M, Sbeita A, Jebriel A, Zintani, Shreidi A, Ghawawi H,
Tazi M (1996) Country report to the FAO international technical
conference on plant genetic, Tripoli
Altayyar AI, Osman NA, Elbreki MF, Ibrahim H, Aboalasad A,
Barkah A, Almahdi N (2016) Isolation and identification of soil
keratinophilic fungi from different area in South of Libya. Int J Appl
Med Biol Res 1(1):27–32
Althalb H, Ian S (2017) Isolation of indigenous hydrocarbon
transforming bacteria from oil contaminated soils in Libya:
selection for use as potential inocula for soil bioremediation. Int J
Environ Bioremediation Biodegrad 5(1):8–17
Ashour AA, Mohamed MA, Hami MA (1981) Libyan truffles terfezia
boudieri chatin chemical composition and toxicity. J Food Sci 43
(19):927–929
Atallah T, Rizk H, Cherfane A, Firas B, El-Alia R, Lajuide P, Hajj S
(2008) Distribution and nodulation of spontaneous legume species
in grasslands and shrublands in Mediterranean Lebanon. J Arid
Land Res Manag 22(2):17–26
Attitalla IH, Salleh B (2010) Improvement of carboxymethyl cellulase
and xylanase production by alginate immobilized Trichoderma
harzianum. Biotechnology 9:529–532
Attitalla IH, Abobaker M, Alhasin MA, Nasib AH, Ghazali L,
Zakaria HM, Jais I, Balal AA, Salleh B (2010a) Occurrence and
microbiological characteristics of Azospirillum strains associated
with leguminous and non-leguminous plants in Al Jabal Al Akhdar
eco-region, Libya. Am Eurasian J Agric Environ Sci 8(6):617–625
116
E. A. Ferjani et al.
assessed in diesel-contaminated soils. The greatest TPHs
degradation, 96.1% and 95%, were obtained when the soil
was amended with pea straw alone and in combination with
a hydrocarbonoclastic, respectively. Meanwhile, natural
attenuation resulted in a significantly lower (TPHs) reduction of 76%. The presence of pea straw also led to a significantly increased recovery of hydrocarbon degraders.
Metagenomics analysis showed that original soil contained
hydrocarbon degraders (e.g. Pseudoxanthomonas spp. and
Alcanivorax spp.). However, they require a biostimulant (in
this case pea straw) to become active (Koshlaf et al. 2016).
Microorganisms were also isolated and identified from
contaminated soil samples obtained from an oil refinery
(Zawia). They were identified as Pseudomonas putida,
Pseudomonas species, Betaproteobacterium, Actinomyces
species, and Bacillus species. Among the five species tested,
Pseudomonas putida showed superior performance in terms
of growth on hydrocarbons (1.0 Â 10
10 CFU/ml), emulsifying activity (86%), and ability to transform hydrocarbons
in pure culture. P. putida also showed a decrease in heavy
hydrocarbon fractions, demonstrating a clear potential for
this microbe to be used as a soil inoculant in bioremediation
(Althalb and Ian 2017).
7.7 Conclusion
Reviewing these brief summaries from studies and research
may give a general idea of Libya’s location and climate, as
well as the environmental conditions prevailing in the
region, which characterize Libya by a biological diversity of
different living organisms. In summation, the most important
challenges to biological activity in Libyan soil are drought,
salinity, and high temperatures prevailing in arid and
semi-arid regions that are waiting for more solutions.
Through the intensity of studies and research in the three
regions (east, west, and south) in the field of soil microbiology, one can assess the extent of interest in this field. What
has been presented here is only a small selection of the
hundreds of research studies that have been previously and
recently published and carried out on soil microbiology.
Many of these studies were inaccessible either because they
were not published or were published in reviewed journals
but unavailable online, in addition to hundreds of masters
and doctoral thesis, discussed in the past four decades.
Acknowledgements First of all, we would like to extend our sincere
thanks and gratitude to Dr. Hamdi A. Zurqani, who gave us the
opportunity to write this part of the book and participate in it through
our contribution to collecting as much data and studies as possible that
were previously published. We would also like to express deep
appreciation to him for his great efforts in following this book patiently
and with great interest until the final stage, in addition to his contribution to the linguistic amendments and corrections.We would also like
to express our gratitude and deep appreciation to Dr. Mikael Youssef Al
Fitouri, a professor at Omar Al-Mukhtar University (Al Bayda—Al
Jabal Al Akhdar—Libya) for his cooperation and assistance in
obtaining some references and research in the eastern region of Libya.
Thanks also go to everyone who supported this work and helped to
accomplish it, and to everyone who provided advice or assistance that
contributed to its achievement.
References
Abdallah NS, Saeed MA, Elsanousi OM (2005a) Isolation and
identification of phython pathogenic fungi accompanied with seeds
of some leguminous species. Al-Mukhtar J Sci 12:83–100
Abdallah NS, Saeed MA, Saleh AM (2005b) Chemical control of
Fusarium solani isolated from Local–Bean seeds in laboratory and
in greenhouse conditions. Al-Mukhtar J Sci 12:101–114
Abdallah NS (2006) Isolation and pathogenicity test for pathogenic
fungi carried on some chickpea cultivars growing at Al Jabal Al
Akhdar. Al-Mukhtar J Sci 13:90–98
Abdulla NS (2007) Biological control to some seed born fungal
pathogens on some legumes. Al-Mukhtar J Sci 14:91–114
Abdelnaby M, Elnesairy NNB, Mohamed SH, Alkhayali YA (2015)
Symbiotic and phenotypic characteristics of rhizobia nodulaing
cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata L. Walp) grown in arid region of Libya
(Fezzan). J Environ Sci Eng 4:227–239
AL-Ani, Mehjin AM (2016) Distribution of the arbuscular mycorrhizal
fungi in Al Jabal Al akhdar area, east Libya. Kirkuk University.
J Sci Stud (11)3:115–135
Al Hammadi ESM (2014) Identification the impact of growth of
different plants on the microbial community in both soil and
rhizosphere. Assiut J Agric Sci 45(5):90–102
Al Hammadi ESM (2015) Study the effect of insecticides commonly
used locally on the bacteria of economic importance in the soil. Ass
Univ Bull Environ Res 18(1):29–42
Al-Idrissi M, Sbeita A, Jebriel A, Zintani, Shreidi A, Ghawawi H,
Tazi M (1996) Country report to the FAO international technical
conference on plant genetic, Tripoli
Altayyar AI, Osman NA, Elbreki MF, Ibrahim H, Aboalasad A,
Barkah A, Almahdi N (2016) Isolation and identification of soil
keratinophilic fungi from different area in South of Libya. Int J Appl
Med Biol Res 1(1):27–32
Althalb H, Ian S (2017) Isolation of indigenous hydrocarbon
transforming bacteria from oil contaminated soils in Libya:
selection for use as potential inocula for soil bioremediation. Int J
Environ Bioremediation Biodegrad 5(1):8–17
Ashour AA, Mohamed MA, Hami MA (1981) Libyan truffles terfezia
boudieri chatin chemical composition and toxicity. J Food Sci 43
(19):927–929
Atallah T, Rizk H, Cherfane A, Firas B, El-Alia R, Lajuide P, Hajj S
(2008) Distribution and nodulation of spontaneous legume species
in grasslands and shrublands in Mediterranean Lebanon. J Arid
Land Res Manag 22(2):17–26
Attitalla IH, Salleh B (2010) Improvement of carboxymethyl cellulase
and xylanase production by alginate immobilized Trichoderma
harzianum. Biotechnology 9:529–532
Attitalla IH, Abobaker M, Alhasin MA, Nasib AH, Ghazali L,
Zakaria HM, Jais I, Balal AA, Salleh B (2010a) Occurrence and
microbiological characteristics of Azospirillum strains associated
with leguminous and non-leguminous plants in Al Jabal Al Akhdar
eco-region, Libya. Am Eurasian J Agric Environ Sci 8(6):617–625
116
E. A. Ferjani et al.