Phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated soils with alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

Abstract

Underground storage tanks uses for waste cars draining contain many hazardous materials including hydrocarbons. These compounds pose a significant threat to the environment and affect negatively the health of living. Phytoremediation is an environmental friendly method used during the last few decades to eliminating organics pollutants from soil, sediment and water. The remediation capability of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) to treat petroleum-contaminated soil from an old car scrap yard in Nybro, Sweden was further investigated using greenhouse pot-scale experiments. After five months, alfalfa survival capacity and dry biomass were significantly lower in contaminated soil (CS) in comparison to non-contaminated soil (NCS). Only 5% of plants survived in CS and petroleum hydrocarbon C10-C50 content in planted treatment were not statistically lower in comparison to the unplanted treatment. Further studies are in process to evaluate the possible degradation of hydrocarbons using organic amendment