Role of Chrypsopogon zizanioides in immobilising crude oil contaminants in the Soil
Abstract
Global population growth and accompanying high rate of industrialisation has led to extensive soil pollution due to the use of natural resources such as petroleum. The extraction, processing and transport of petroleum affects the environment through oil spills and leaks. These can cause negative effects on human health and the surrounding ecosystem as toxic compounds such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and benzene (carcinogens) get deposited into the soil and groundwater. The treatment of soil pollution through engineering and chemical methods often cause more harm to the environment through excavation and use of harmful chemicals. As a result, scientists are exploring the use of plants known as phytoremediation to develop a cost effective, environmentally friendly and sustainable technology for soil remediation. This paper explains the results obtained from a study on the phytoremediation of crude oil contaminated soil using Chrysopogon zizanioides. 70kg of soil was spiked with about 1kg of crude oil and allowed to weather for 100 days. Following this 1kg of the weathered soil was transferred into different pots where relevant pots were vegetated with seedlings of C. zizanioides. Thereafter, the samples were treated with doses of NPK fertiliser and biosurfactants (95% Di-Rhamnolipid) in order to promote the growth of the plants and solubilise the organic contaminants for easy absorption by the plants. The result revealed an improvement in plant growth after a period of 72 days. The highest growth in roots occurred in plants grown in soils containing crude oil treated with fertiliser with more organic matter which increased the water holding capacity of the soil thereby preventing further leaching of contaminants. Similarly, the plants grown in soils containing crude and treated with doses of NPK fertiliser and biosurfactants also yielded well which helped in preventing the leaching of contaminants as compared to the control samples which yielded poorly. The result also indicated reduction in the level of PAHs in the soil after a period of 8 months. In conclusion, soil amendment with NPK fertiliser helps to improve the growth of root system of C. zizanioides that can potentially help in immobilising contaminants in the soil during the process of phytoremediation of crude oil contaminated soil.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020AGUFMH035.0011S
- Keywords:
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- 0432 Contaminant and organic biogeochemistry;
- BIOGEOSCIENCES;
- 1829 Groundwater hydrology;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1835 Hydrogeophysics;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1875 Vadose zone;
- HYDROLOGY