Title The ability of legumes to increase soil nutrient content during petroleum hydrocarbons-contaminated soil phytoremediation
Authors Meištininkas, Rimas ; Žaltauskaitė, Jūratė ; Pedišius, Nerijus
Full Text Download
Is Part of Book of abstracts 32nd International Conference, Ecology & Safety.. Burgas : Sciencecebg. 2023, p. 1
Keywords [eng] legumes ; nutrients ; phytoremediation ; soil
Abstract [eng] Soil contamination with various chemical compounds and depletion of nutrients is a very important problem in the world. The most common soil pollutants are petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). Soil pollution caused by TPH reduces the fertility of the soil by affecting the soil’s biological properties. Due to the extensive and long-term use of petroleum products, the number of potential spots of soil pollution in Europe is estimated at 2.8 million. Various different methods are used to decontaminate soil pollution, but biological methods, especially phytoremediation, are highly desirable. A very promising type of plant for TPH-contaminated soil phytoremediation is legumes because they have the ability to fix nitrogen and increase soil fertility. Moreover, legumes can use insoluble sources of phosphorus and make them bioavailable. This study is aimed to evaluate the potential of legumes to increase soil nutrient content during the soil phytoremediation process. Eight species from the Fabaceae plant family were selected for the study. Plants were grown in heavy fuel oil-contaminated soil (2.5 and 4 g kg-1) for 12 weeks. The implementation of legumes in TPH-contaminated soil treatment increased the concentration of ammonium and inorganic phosphorous with the highest increase in the case of L. corniculatus and Onobrychis viciifolia. Growing Phaseolus vulgaris, L. corniculatus, and M. albus maintained soil nitrates close to the initial level. The study demonstrated that M. sativa, L. corniculatus, and M. albus were the most efficient in TPH decontamination and had a positive effect on recovering soil nutrient content.
Published Burgas : Sciencecebg
Type Conference paper
Language English
Publication date 2023