Thiago Gonçalves Cavalcanti, Andrwey Augusto Galvão Viana, Thaffarel Pereira Guedes, Amanda de Souza Freire, Rafael de Almeida Travassos and Ulrich Vasconcelos
Keywords: Phytotoxicity, oil hydrocarbons, bioremediation, germination index.
Abstract: Determination of phytotoxicity is useful as a sequential test by which the microbiological removal of hydrocarbons present in soils is investigated. However, oil can stimulate the growth of some plants and the selection of appropriate seeds may require time. This study investigated the germination index of 11 edible plants seeds exposed to different concentrations of recalcitrant oils. All plants showed symptoms of toxicity and the indices in 9 of them were reduced proportionally to the contaminants concentration. Eudicots were more sensitive than monocots. Subsequently, a sandy soil was contaminated with lubricating oil and different bioremediation strategies were evaluated. Among the 9 selected seeds, 3 were randomly tested before and after 30 days of treatment. There was an increase in germination indices, especially when more than 30% of the contaminant was removed. The evaluated plants were considered good choices for ecotoxicity tests on soils contaminated by hydrocarbons, particularly C. anguria.
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