ABSTRACT

This study examined the effects of used lubricating oil-polluted soil

on the morphology, anatomy, growth and development of

chysopogon zizanioides and Andropogon tecloru,n. Top soil

excavated from mechanic workshops in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local

Government Area, Anambra State was used as polluted soil while

soil from a farmland, lOOm away was used as the control . 5kg of

each were put in perforated cylindrical plastic buckets 20cm in

diameter and 21cm height. Root and shoot stocks (tillers) of

(.zizanioides and A. leclorum were pruned to unifomi sizes of 6cm

and 10cm respectively. The expeimenta1 design was completely

randomized, two treatments with 10 replicates. Growth parameters

were measured at 4 weeks interval for 12 weeks. Anatomical studies

on the epidermis, lamina, stems and roots of the two plants were

carried out using standard methods. Heavy metal analysis of the

polluted and unpolluted soils and plant tissues were dete'niined.

Student t-test statistics was used for data analysis. Heavy metals such

as Fe, Pb, Zn, cu etc were found in polluted, unpolluted soil and plant

'1 tissues. However, the concentrations were lower in unpolluted soils

and plant tissues. Result of growth studies show that used lubricating

oil- polluted soil has no significant effect on the clump size and clump

height of C.zizanioides, but have significant effect on the number of

tillers, leaf breadth and total biomass (P<0.05). For A.lecIorum the

polluted soil has significant effect on all the parameters measured

(P<0.05). Morphological and anatomical abbelTations were observed

for plants grown iii polluted soil. These defects included chlorosis.

reduction in plant clump size and height, number of tillers, leaf

breadth size and total biomass. Anatomically, there was epidermal.

cortical and vascular bundles disorganization and maceration,

distortion of shape of epidermal, cortical and parenchyma cells,

reduced stomatal index, larger and narrower intercellular air spaces of

the cortex etc. These effects no doubt affected the physiology of the

plants.