Selecting Plants and Nitrogen Rates to Vegetate Crude-Oil-Contaminated Soil

Phytoremediation can be effective for remediating contaminated soils in situ and generally requires the addition of nitrogen (N) to increase plant growth. Our research objectives were to evaluate seedling emergence and survival of plant species and to determine the effects of N additions on plant gr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of phytoremediation 2006-12, Vol.8 (4), p.285-297
Main Authors: Kirkpatrick, W. D., White, P. M., Wolf, D. C., Thoma, G. J., Reynolds, C. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aeschynomene americana
Biodegradation, Environmental
Biomass
biomass production
Brachiaria
Crude oil
Fabaceae - growth & development
Fabaceae - metabolism
Fertilizers
germination
Humans
Hydrocarbons - pharmacokinetics
Industrial Waste - prevention & control
Labor intensive
Nitrogen
Nitrogen - pharmacology
Oil pollution
Oil spills
Organic contaminants
Pennisetum glaucum
Petroleum
Phytochemicals
phytoremediation
Piper
Plant growth
Plant Roots
Plant Shoots
Poaceae - growth & development
Poaceae - metabolism
rhizosphere-enhanced remediation
Seasons
Seeds
Soil Pollutants - pharmacokinetics
Soils
Sorghum
Studies
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Summary:Phytoremediation can be effective for remediating contaminated soils in situ and generally requires the addition of nitrogen (N) to increase plant growth. Our research objectives were to evaluate seedling emergence and survival of plant species and to determine the effects of N additions on plant growth in crude-oil-contaminated soil. From a preliminary survival study, three warm-season grasses-pearlmillet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br.), sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense [Piper] Stapf [Piper]), and browntop millet (Brachiaria ramosa L.)-and one warm-season legume-jointvetch (Aeschynomene americana L.)-were chosen to determine the influence of the N application rate on plant growth in soil contaminated with weathered crude oil. Nitrogen was added based on total petroleum hydrocarbon-C:added N ratios (TPH-C:TN) ranging from 44:1 to 11:1. Plant species were grown for 7 wk. Root and shoot biomass were determined and root length and surface area were analyzed. Pearlmillet and sudangrass had higher shoot and root biomass when grown at a TPH-C:TN (inorganic) ratio of 11:1 and pearlmillet had higher root length and surface area when grown at 11:1 compared with the other species. By selecting appropriate plant species and determining optimum N application rates, increased plant root growth and an extended rhizosphere influence should lead to enhanced phytoremediation of crude-oil-contaminated soil.
ISSN:1522-6514
1549-7879
DOI:10.1080/15226510600992840