Phytoremediation Potentials of Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor), Sunflower (Helianthus Amarus) and Fluted Pumpkin (Telifaria Occidentallis) On Spent Engine Oil Polluted Texturally Contrasting Soils
Chukwu Esther Chidinma* and Azuka Chukwuebuka Vincent
Published: July 30, 2022
Abstract
Phytoremediation potentials of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), Sunflower (Helianthus amarus) and Fluted pumpkin (Telifaria occidentallis) on spent engine oil polluted texturally contrasting soils was evaluated in the glasshouse belonging to the Department of Soil Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Three texturally contrasting soils: Sandy loam (SL), Loamy sand (LS) and Sandy clay loam (SCL) were potted with a polythene bag and polluted with 10% w/w (122ml/kg), 20% w/w (245ml/kg) and 0% w/w (0ml/kg) of spent engine oil. The experiment was a 3x3x3 factorial replicated thrice in a completely randomized design (CRD). The soil was thoroughly mixed with spent engine oil and allowed to stay for three weeks to allow for proper absorption of the engine oil. Thereafter, air dried crushed and sieved poultry manure was applied to each polythene bag at a rate of 40 t/ha. The spent engine oil- organic manure mixture was watered to field capacity 3 times per week for two weeks after which the crops were sown. Soil samples were collected and analyzed at the end of the study which lasted for 12 weeks, to determine the total hydrocarbon in the soil after planting. The data on soil parameters were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using GENSTAT. The results showed that the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) was higher in the 20% polluted soil as it increases with the level of pollution and was highest in the soil in which pumpkin was planted and least in the soil in which sunflower was planted. The study concluded that Sunflower has better phytoremediation potential for spent engine oil-polluted soils than Sorghum and Fluted pumpkin.