African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12487

Full Length Research Paper

Remediation of soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from crude oil

Edema, C. U.1*, Idu, T. E.2 and Edema, M. O.3
  1Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. 2Chemistry Department, College of Physical Education, Mosogar, Delta State, Nigeria. 3Chemistry Department, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 27 December 2010
  •  Published: 14 February 2011

Abstract

 

The aim of this study was to determine ways of remediating soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with crude oil. The study involves the use of planted cowpeas, mushrooms, algae, dead vegetable and live earthworm, and fire-heating of the contaminated garden soil collected from the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. The types and levels of the PAH in the soil before and after three weeks of contamination were determined using gas chromatography. Mushrooms and cowpeas proved to be very adequate phytoremediators. Fire heat was third, algae and dead vegetable with live earthworm showed the least reduction. This study thus recommends that the people of the Niger Delta should engage in planting of mushrooms and cowpeas to regenerate and ameliorate petroleum contaminated land for beneficial farming.

 

Key words: Crude oil, petroleum, contaminated soil, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, mushrooms, cowpeas.

Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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