Effect of Crude Oil Concentrations on Growth and Photosynthetic Pigments of Helianthus Annus Bio-Augmented with Micrococcus luteus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

Bioremediation of soil contaminated with organic chemicals is a challenging problem in the environmental
scenario. On the basis of identification of remediation capability of Helianthus annus (sunflower) assisted with
Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Micrococcus luteus were used to investigate the soil contaminated with petroleum
hydrocarbons (crude oil) at varying concentrations (25,50,75,100,125, &150ml/ kg of soil) in a pot experiment carried
out in a green house. According to both qualitative and quantitative analysis of parameters including plant height, stem
girth, number of leaves, leaf area and photosynthetic pigments including chlorophyll a, b and carotenoid indicated that
H.annus showed peculiar tolerance to the higher concentration of crude oil concentration in the soil containing both
micrococcus and pseudomonas (MP) (combined) consortium showing positive synergetic effect on H.annus in
remediating the petroleum hydrocarbons at all concentrations more significantly at higher concentration of crude oil
(150ml/kg) of soil. The results show significant increase in growth of (both Micrococcus and Pseudomonas) MP treated
plant as compare to control plants; in control the leaf area 18.716 ± 1.256, stem girth 3.40±0.10 and plant height
90.72±4.062 whereas in MP treated plant leaf area 19.65 ±0.292, stem girth 3.580 ±0.048, height 98.20±3.852
respectively. On the whole Helianthus anuus is commercial oil yielding crop that can be effectively applied to
phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons assisted with Micrococcus and Pseudomonas is a significant treatment for
remediating the soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbon.

Keywords: Sunflower, bioremediation, crude oil contaminants, phytoremediation.