Phytoremediation of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons From Highly Saline and Clay Soil Using Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. and Aeluropus littoralis (Guna) Parl |
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| Authors: | Nadali Alavi Mehdi Ahmadi Nematollah Jafarzadeh Ahmad Reza Yari Mehrangiz Chehrazi |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Environmental and Occupational Hazards Control Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;2. Environmental Technologies Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran;3. Research Center for Environmental Pollutants, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran;4. Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran |
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| Abstract: | This study evaluated the effects of native plants (Sorghum halepense and Aeluropus littoralis), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) concentrations, and nutrients on the removal of TPHs from a highly saline clay soil. For a period of 180 days, rhizosphere microbial number, plant biomass, and residual TPHs were determined monthly. Results showed that TPH removal from soil in the rhizosphere was 13% higher than that in the control (unplanted soil). In addition, the number of heterotrophic bacteria in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil was 7.407 and 6.629 log10CFU/g, respectively. The maximum TPH removal, microbial numbers, and plant biomass were measured in the treated soil, polluted with 0.86% (w/w) of TPH. The high clay and salinity of the experimental soil had a negative effect on the phytoremediation efficiency. Hence, it was necessary to improve the physicochemical properties of the soil to provide a good condition for plants and microbes, thereby increasing the phytoremediation efficiency. |
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| Keywords: | Aeluropus littoralis phytoremediation soil Sorghum halepense TPHs |
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