Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Article Title: Growth Response of Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze in a Waste Engine Oil-Polluted Soil
by Ogedegbe, A. Uwaila, Ikhajiagbe, B. and Anoliefo, G. O.

Abstract:
The indiscriminate dumping of waste engine oil which has led to the loss of arable land, forests and potable water is on the rise. Phytoremediation which is the use of plants in the clean-up of polluted environment is an emerging technology, which is environmentally friendly and cheaper than the conventional technology. About 400 plant spp. are able to remediate polluted environments and more are being discovered. This study therefore, was carried out to determine the impact of waste engine oil-polluted soil on some growth parameters of Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze. Sun-dried top soil (0-10cm) was measured into buckets. Waste engine oil (WEO) was added to soil and mixed thoroughly to obtain various concentrations on weight basis: 0, 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 % w/w oil-in-soil. One month after soil was amended with WEO, sprouted shoot cuttings of A. brasiliana were transplanted from a nursery. There was significant (p<0.05) decreases in plant growth parameters in the oil-polluted soil. The sprouted plants had a shoot growth rate of 58.6 % in the 1 % w/w oil-polluted soil, while plants in the 12 % w/w oil-polluted soil had a growth rate of 36 % by the 2nd week after transplant (WAT). In the 1 % w/w oil-polluted soil, plants grew to an average height of 100 cm while plants in the 12 % w/w oil-polluted soil had average height of 41.67 cm. It was generally observed that in spite of the duration of the study (4 months) and the impact of oil on the vegetative growth of A. brasiliana, the plants survived even at 12 % w/w oil-in-soil treatment. The persistence of A. brasiliana in the polluted soil provides the possibility for its being a candidate for phytoremediation

Keywords: waste engine oil, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, physicochemical, phytoremediation, Alternanthera brasiliana,

Download full paper