Phytoremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons-Contaminated Soil Using Haloxylon salicornicum
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63359/zeg90602Keywords:
Contaminated soil, Phytoremediation, Haloxylon salicornicum, Hydrocarbon degradation.Abstract
One of the serious environmental issues affecting soil quality, plant growth, and ecosystem stability in areas near oil refineries or oil fields is petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. Phytoremediation is an environmentally friendly approach for restoring contaminated soils. In this work, Haloxylon salicornicum was used to remediate crude oil-contaminated soil and to investigate changes in soil physicochemical properties during remediation. Experimental soil was collected from Safwan city near South Rumaila Oil Field and contaminated with crude oil at concentrations of 15, 30, 45, and 60 g kg⁻¹. The experiments were conducted under controlled conditions over 4 months.
Changes in soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), moisture, total nitrogen, organic matter, and total organic carbon (TOC), as well as the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, were monitored and recorded every 30 days throughout the experiment. As remediation progressed, noticeable changes in most soil properties were observed, indicating recovery toward the original properties of the uncontaminated soil. Soil with lower contamination levels recovered faster than soil with higher levels. The results showed that Haloxylon salicornicum reduced hydrocarbon concentrations and clearly contributed to tolerance of the negative effects of petroleum contamination. Based on that, this plant can be considered a sustainable phytoremediation agent for oil-polluted soils in arid environments.
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