Evaluation of the potentials of <i>Pennisetium glaucum</i> and <i>Vigna unguiculata</i> for phytoremediation of Spent-engine oil contaminated soil

Abstract

One promising technique for cleaning up soil polluted by spent engine oil is phytoremediation. Particularly in the tropics, where resources can be scarce and the climate is favorable for plant development. Finding plant species that will work well with this technology was the aim of this investigation. The ability of a cereal (Pennisetum glaucum) and a legume (Vigna unguiculata) to remediate soil contaminated with 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5% (W/V) of spent engine oil was evaluated. After 150 days of incubation, the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) loss in greenhouse studies was calculated. The total petroleum hydrocarbon content of soil that was vegetated with P. glaucum and V. unguiculata was substantially lower than that of non-vegetated soil. Furthermore, a positive association was discovered between the initial TPH and the total petroleum hydrocarbon loss caused by planting P. glaucum. It was also discovered that P. glaucum outperformed V. unguiculata in remediation capacity. These findings suggest that P. glaucum be investigated further, which might lead to a better understanding of how to apply phytoremediation to soils contaminated with spent-engine oil.