Effects Of Waste Engine Oil Polluted Soil On The Anatomy Of Brachiaria Deflexia Schumah. Robyns And Paspalum Scrobiculatum L:- Obi, Marvellous O.

ABSTRACT

The indiscriminate dumping ot waste engine oil which has led to the loss of arable land, forests and potable waste is on the rise. The study was conducted at the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria to evaluate/ examine the effects of waste engine oil on the anatomy of Brachiaria deflexia and Paspalum scrobiculatum. The experiment was laid out as a completely randomized design (CRD) and the waste engine oil constituted treatments of 2.0, 4.0. 7.0 and 10.0% (v/w) in three replicates, including the control which had no contamination was used in this work. The results showed that in leaves of B.deflexia there was reduction in the number of stomata as the concentration of waste engine oil increased from 2% to 10%, likewise the stem and root which showed reduced parenchyma cell walls, intercellular air spaces and distorted parenchyma of pith. On the leaves of P.scrobiculatum. there was reduction on the stomata and increased sinuosity on the epidermal cell walls, likewise, the stem -and root, which showed distorted parenchyma cell walls and increased tissue breakdown as the concentration ot waste engine oil contamination increased. Hence, these two plant species have higher potential for phytoremediation of waste engine oil contaminated soils as they showed tolerance to the contamination from waste engine oil.