Assessment Of Local Tropical Plants For Phytoremediation Of Petroleum Contaminated Soil

Abstract

A laboratory study was conducted to assess the potentials of Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum) and Water Leaf (Talinum triangulare) local plants under normal environmental conditions in remediating soil contaminated with a Nigerian crude oil sample. Composite soil sample obtained by mixing equal weight in kilogrammes of soil samples from three states in the Niger Delta Region (Delta, Edo and Rivers) was first characterized. 100 ± 10.0 kg of the composite soil sample was distributed into seven plastic bowls. The soil samples were fertilized with 10% (w/w) Organic fertilizer produced from Cow dung. Six Bowls were then contaminated with 5% (w/w) of a characterized heavy crude oil sample obtained from an Oil Flow Station in Delta State Nigeria. Young plants of Panicum maximum and Talinum triangulare were transplanted into five Bowls already containing the contaminated composite soil. Two Bowls served as Control - One Bowl with soil not contaminated with Crude oil sample and the other without plant. All the plants were observed over a period of twelve weeks during which the soil samples were weekly collected for analysis of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) using standard methods. Results obtained showed a considerable reduction in the TPH level of the soil samples compared to the unplanted Control soil sample. Both plants showed great promising potential as phytoremediating agents for the further clean-up of crude oil contaminated soil.


Keywords: Phytoremediation; Crude oil; Cow dung; Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon

JORIND Vol. 6 (1) 2008: pp. 16-16