Phytoremediation of heavy metals in petroleum-contaminated soil using red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) and a microbial consortium

Abstract

In the present work, was studied the capacity of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) seedlings to phytoremediator heavy metals in soils contaminated with crude oil by applying bioaugmentation through a microbial consortium made up of Serratia marcescens, Trichoderma harzianum and Rhizopus sp. Experimental treatments were prepared in triplicate with soils contaminated with 30, 60 and 100 mg/Kg of crude oil and cohorts or surveys of experimental units were carried out 0, 15, 30, 60 and 90 days, respectively. The growth of the Rhizophora mangle seedlings was evaluated, obtaining an average height of 9.69 cm and a root length average of 10.67 cm. To determine the concentration of heavy metals, the EPA 3050B digestion method was used, and for its quantification, a Thermo-Scientific atomic absorption spectrophotometer, model ICE 3000, was used. With the results obtained, the heavy metal phytoremediation percentages were calculated. Finality, the percentages of average phytoremediation of heavy metals by applying Rhizophora mangle and the microbial consortium, presented the following order: Cd (86%) > Pb (65%) > Cu (57%) > Zn (43%) > (40%).