Abstract:
A study was conducted at the screen house of the Teaching and Research Farm of Akwa Ibom
State University, to evaluate the effects of crude oil pollution levels grown with different native
plant species on some physicochemical properties of the soil. A 13 x 4 factorial comprising of
twelve varieties of native plant species (Axonopus compressus, Pennisetum purpureum, Eleusine
indica, Panicum maximum, Leuceana leucocephala, Gliricidia sepium, Talinum fructicosum,
Chromoleana odorota, Cyperus rotundus, Calapogonium mucunoides, Jatropha curcas,
Centrosema pubescens) and a control, polluted with four levels (0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 %) of crude
oil (w/w) were fitted into Completely Randomized Design with three replications. Significant
interactions were observed between crude oil pollution levels and different plant species used on
the soil chemical properties while there was no significant effect on the texture of the soil
irrespective of the plant species used. Different plant species interact differently in crude oil
polluted soils. At 2 and 4 months after crude oil pollution, increase in crude oil pollution level
significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the values of soil pH, available phosphorus, exchangeable
bases and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) while organic carbon, total nitrogen and
base saturation were significantly (P < 0.05) increased relative to the control (unpolluted soil) |
