Abstract
The use of bacterial endophytes in soil bioremediation is limited by nutrient availability in the soil. In this study, garden compost was used as a biostimulant during the bioremediation of lead contaminated soil with a bacterial endophyte. The experimental data showed that the cell wall of the Bacillus sp. strain MHSD_36 resulted in 36% lead biosorption. The addition of glucose and peptone in the growth media, enhanced biomass growth and lead biosorption, achieving a maximum of 76% lead removal. The use of compost as a cheaper carbon and nitrogen source improved the biosorption capacity of strain MHSD_36 during the bioremediation of lead contaminated soil. Compost biostimulation resulted in a residual lead of 250 mg/Kg, from an initial concentration of 300 mg/Kg, compared to 282 mg/Kg without biostimulation. The endophytic bacteria Bacillus sp. strain MHSD_36 is a potential lead biosorbent. Moreover, compost is an organic biostimulator with potential application in soil decontamination.
