ABSTRACT

This study was done to examine the leaf, stem and root anatomy of plant growing in spent lubricating oil polluted soil and those of normal soil. Five plant species including Ageratum conyzoides, Phyllanthus amarus, Andropogan tectorum, Laportea aestuans and Eleusine indica were collected from spent engine oil contaminated environment, Ohiya mechanic village in Umuahia, Ahia state, while normal plants of the same species were collected from the environment of Michael Okpara university of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia state. The plants were also identified in the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State. The anatomical studies of the leaf, stem and root showed the effect of the spent lubricating oil on the plant. The epidermal cell wall of the leaves of the plant growing on spent lubricating oil polluted soil had sinuous (wavy) cells than those observed in plants growing in normal soil. The level of sinuosity was more in pants of polluted soil than those of normal soil. The plates obtained shows that the cell wall of the cortical cells were thicker in the plants growing in spent lubricating oil polluted soil than in those growing in normal soil. The cortical cells of those growing in normal soil were round in shape, while that of the plants growing in spent lubricating oil polluted soil were mostly hexagonal in shape. Thin epidermal cell walls were observed in all the plants growing in normal soil, while the the cell walls of plants growing in polluted environment were thick. Also the plants growing in spent lubricating oil polluted soil had their cell shape ranging from hexagonal to pentagonal (polygonal cells). However, the cell shape of plants growing in normal soil were mostly round to oval. The result shows that the anatomical studies of A. tectorum, L. aestuans, P. amarus, A. conyzoides and E. indica can be used as bioindicator of spent lubricating oil polluted soil.