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Effects of amendments and bioaugumentation of soil polluted with crude oil,

automotive gasoline oil, and spent engine oil on the growth of cowpea (Vigna
ungiculata L. Walp)

Article  in  Scientific research and essays · April 2007

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Olutayo Adedokun Anthony E Ataga

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Scientific Research and Essay Vol. 2 (5), pp. 147-149, May 2007
Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/SRE
ISSN 1992-2248 © 2007 Academic Journals

Short Communication

Effects of amendments and bioaugumentation of soil

polluted with crude oil, automotive gasoline oil, and
spent engine oil on the growth of cowpea (Vigna
ungiculata L. Walp)
Adedokun, Olutayo M. and Ataga, A. E.*
Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, University of Port Harcourt, P. M. B. 5323, Port Harcourt, Rivers State,
Nigeria.
Accepted 26 April, 2007

The effects of sawdust and waste cotton as soil amendment and bioaugumentation with Pleurotus
pulmonarius (pp) on soil polluted with crude oil (COIL), automotive gasoline oil (AGO), and spent
engine oil (SEO) on the growth of cowpea (Vigna ungiculata L. Walp) was investigated. There was a
significant improvement (P = 0.05) on the growth of cowpea when polluted soil was amended and
bioaugmented with P. pulmonarius (pp) after one month of incubation when compared with the result of
planting on polluted soil with no amendments and bioaugumentation. Addition of waste cotton as an
amendment and P. pulmonarius as bioaugumentation agents to crude oil polluted soil significantly
reduced time of seed germination from 8 to 3 days, increased seed germination from 60 to 96%, plant
height from 10.3 to 22 cm, leaf number from 3 to 5 and biomass from 0.5 to1.5 g dry wt. Similar
reductions in time of germination, increases in percentage germination, plant height, leaf number and
total biomass in cowpea plants grown in automotive gasoline oil and spent engine oil polluted soils,
amended with waste cotton or saw dust and bioaugumented with P. pulmonarius were observed in this
study.

Key words: Amendments, bioaugumentation, Pleurotus pulmonarius, Vigna and growth.

INTRODUCTION

The soil is a key component of natural ecosystems be- crude oil results in damage to soil condition of these
cause environmental sustainability depends largely on a agricultural lands, microorganisms and plants (Onuoha et
sustainable soil ecosystem (Adriano et al., 1998). When al., 2003). They also reported that beyond 3% concen-
soil is polluted, the ecosystem is altered and agricultural tration in an environment, crude oil becomes increasingly
activities are affected. deleterious to soil biota and crop growth. As a means of
Crude oil and petroleum products such as gasoline, remediation of soil polluted with these substances, vari-
fuel oils and diesel fuels are complex mixtures of organic ous technologies have been employed among which is
compounds and have been shown to be toxic to plants bioremediation. For efficient bioremediation, soil amend-
(Anon, 2003). Oil pollution prevents normal oxygen ex- ment or additives, such as sawdust, peat, waste cotton,
change between soil and atmosphere due to hydrophobic manure, fertilizers etc. are added to increase micro-orga-
properties of oil (Atlas, 1977). It also inhibits seed germi- nisms activities. A soil amendment is any material added
nation and plant growth (Odjegba and Sadiq, 2002; to a soil to improve its physical properties, such as water
Hazel, 2005). retention, permeability, water infiltration, drainage, aera-
In Nigeria, most of the terrestrial ecosystem and shore- tion and structure (Davis and Wilson, 2005).
lines in oil producing communities are important agricul- This study investigates the effects of waste cotton and
tural land under continuous cultivation. Any contact with saw dust as amendments and bioaugmentation with
Pleurotus pulmonarius on the growth of cowpea cultiva-
ted on soil polluted with crude oil (COIL), automotive
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] gasoline oil (AGO), and spent engine oil (SEO).
 148 Sci. Res. Essays

Table 1. Performance of cowpea on soil treated with crude oil (COIL) after a month of pollution with incorporation of amendments and
bioagumentation

Treatment Germination/day Germination (%) Plant height (cm) Leaf number Biomass (g/ dry wt.)
Control 2±0.4 100±0 33.0±2.5 7.0±0.9 4.1±0.6
Soil+cotton +COIL +pp 3±0.6 96±2.9 22.1±2.1 5.0±0.4 1.5±0.3
Soil+cotton +COIL 3±0.4 76±3.4 15.8±4.5 5.0±0.3 1.4±0.2
Soil+cotton +COIL +pp 3±0.4 76±2.9 16.5±1.2 5.0±0.4 1.1±0.3
Soil+COIL +pp 3±0.4 76±3.4 12.9±3.7 3±2.1 0.8±0.4
Soil +sawdust + COIL 3±0.4 76±6.7 13±3.5 4.0±0.9 0.8±0.2

MATERIALS AND METHODS in Tables 1, 2 and 3. Soil polluted with crude oil (COIL),
automotive gasoline oil (AGO) and spent engine oil
Sample and sample collection
(SEO) significantly affected the time of germination,
Soil sample (sandy loam) was collected randomly with a shovel at a percentage germination, plant height, leaf production and
depth of about 15 cm from a site in the University of Port-Harcourt, biomass There was delay in germination of seeds sown
Nigeria. Samples were homogenized, sieved and stored in poly- in COIL-polluted soil (8 days), AGO-polluted soil (5 days)
thene bags at room temperature (28 ± 2°C) in the laboratory. Seeds and SEO-polluted soil (4 days) when compared with 2
of cowpea were purchased from a local market in Port Harcourt. days in the unpolluted controls. The growth parameters:
The crude oil was a Nigerian Bonny light blend obtained from Shell
Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Limited Port-Harcourt, plant height, leaves and biomass were comparatively low
Nigeria. Automotive Gasoline oil (AGO) was purchased from a filling in all the polluted soils compared to the control, with no
station in Port Harcourt and spent engine oil was collected from pollutant. This is in line with the work of Atlas (1977) that
mechanic workshop in Port Harcourt. oil pollution prevents normal oxygen exchange between
Sawdust and waste cotton (secondary wastes from the mecha- soil and atmosphere due to hydrophobic properties of oil,
nical processing of raw cotton prior to spinning) which were used as
amendments in this study, were collected from a sawmill in Port
thus inhibiting plant growth. Odjegba and Sadiq (2002)
Harcourt and Atlantic Textile Mills (ATM), Lagos, Nigeria respec- and Hazel (2005) also reported that oil pollution inhibits
tively. Sawdust was mixture of wood of Khaya species and Helea seed germination and plant growth.
ciliata and 5-month-old when used for the study. P. pulmonarius Amendments of polluted soil with cotton waste and saw
used was obtained from the Federal Institute of Industrial Research dust significantly enhanced (P = 0.05) time of germina-
Oshodi (FIIRO). tion, percentage germination of seeds and the growth of
the seedling. In Coil-polluted soil, amendment with cotton
Soil treatment and planting waste reduced time of seed germination from 8 to 3 days,
improved seed germination from 60 to 76%, plant height
One kilogram of soil was weighed into transparent polythene bags.
The soil, was treated, with 5% crude oil, AGO and spent engine oil, from 10.3 to 15.8 cm and leaf number from 3 to 5. Similar
respectively. Ten percent sawdust and waste cotton were added to improvement in growth was also recorded in amend-
the polluted samples and thoroughly mixed with it. The samples ments of AGO and SEO polluted soils with cotton and
were sterilized in an autoclave at 121°C for 15 min. After cooling, saw dust when compared with non-amended polluted
some of the samples were inoculated with 10% spawn of P. pulmo- soils (Tables 2 and 3).
narius and incubated at room temperature (28 ± 2°C) for one The addition of amendments and bioaugmentation of
month. A set of samples was not inoculated, but also incubated at
room temperature. After incubation, the soil samples together with
polluted soil with P. pulmonarius further improved the
mycelial mat was homogenized and distributed into planting bags of growth performance of cowpea when compared with non-
26 x 23 cm dimension. Five cowpea seeds were planted per bag. amended soil after one month. Amendment of COIL-
Each treatment was replicated 5 times. The experiment was polluted soil with cotton waste and bioaugumentation with
watered daily and observation was made on the growth of the plant. pp significantly improved germination from 60 to 96%,
Germination, % germination, plant height, number of leaves and plant height from 10.3 to 22 cm, leaf number from 3 to 5
biomass of plant were recorded. Plant height was measured from
the soil level to the terminal bud using a transparent meter rule. and biomass from 0.5 to 1.5 g/dry wt. Similar enhan-
This was done at an interval of seven days. Number of leaves was cement in growth parameters were also obtained in the
by visual counting of the leaves as the plant grew. Biomass was by amendment and bioaugumentation of AGO AND SEO
carefully uprooting the plants and cleaning up the root to remove polluted soils (Tables 2 and 3).
sand particles. These were then weighed and kept in the oven at The improvement in plant growth could be attributed to
80oC for 24 h to obtain dry weight (Odjegba and Sadiq, 2002).
the addition of soil amendments and bioaugumentation. A
probable explanation for this is that soil amendments and
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION bioaugumentation improved the soil physical properties
otherwise damaged by pollution of the soil (Davis and
The results of the effects of amendments incorporated Wilson, 2005). Soil amendments may be described as
into soil polluted with COIL, AGO and SEO are presented materials added to a soil to improve its physical proper-
 Adedokun and Ataga 149

Table 2. Performance of cowpea on soil treated with automotive gasoline oil (AGO) after a month of pollution with incorporation of
amendments and bioaugumentation.

Treatment Germination/day Germination (%) Plant height (cm) Leaf number Biomass
(g/ dry wt.)
Control 2±0.5 100±0 33.0±2.5 7.0±0.9 4.1±0.6
Soil + cotton + AGO + pp 2±0.5 72±1.5 18.8±7.3 4.0±2.2 1.4±0.3
Soil + cotton + AGO 3±0.5 64±2.9 15.5±3.4 5.0±0.5 0.8±0.2
Soil + sawdust + AGO + pp 3±0.5 88±1.9 14.6±3.2 5.0±0.4 1.1±0.1
Soil + AGO + pp 3±0.5 68±3.3 13±2.8 4.0±1.1 0.2±0.2
Soil + sawdust + AGO 3±0.5 84±2.0 14.4±3.9 5.0±0.5 0.2±0.4
Soil + AGO 5±0.5 24±3.8 2.6±4.1 1.0±1.4 0.03±0.01

Table 3. Performance of cowpea on soil treated with spent engine oil (SEO) after a month of pollution with incorporation of amendments
and bioaugumentation.

Treatment Germination/day Germination (%) Plant height (cm) Leaf number Biomass
(g/ dry wt.)
Control 2±0.5 100±0 33.0±2.5 7.0±0.9 4.1±0.6
Soil + cotton + SEO + pp 3.0±0.4 96±8.9 20.7±2.5 5.0±0.4 1.8±0.4
Soil + cotton + SEO 3.0±0.4 96±8.9 18.7±2.8 2.0±2.5 1.6±0.8
Soil + sawdust + SEO + pp 3.0±0.4 100±0 18.6±2.7 3.0±0.8 1.8±0.3
Soil + SEO + pp 3.0±0.4 76±3.4 13.3±3.6 2±2.3 1.0±0.8
Soil + sawdust + SEO 3.0±0.4 96±8.9 15.4±3.8 4.0±1.1 1.8±1.1
Soil + SEO 4.0±2.1 60±4.8 9.9±5.6 2.0±0.9 1.8±0.4

ties, such as water retention, permeability, water infiltra- Dave H, Ramakrishna C , Bhatt BD, Desai JD (1994). World Journal
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used as a soil amendment, it was found to increase soil State University Cooperative Extension Horticulture.7: 235.
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