Resumo

HERNANDEZ-VALENCIA, Ismael  e  MAGER, Denise. Use of Panicum maximum and Brachiaria brizantha to phytoremediate polluted soils with light crude oil. Bioagro [online]. 2003, vol.15, n.3, pp.149-156. ISSN 1316-3361.

The ability of Panicum maximun and Brachiaria brizantha to phytoremediate a slightly polluted soil with light crude oil (3 %) was tested in greenhouse assays taking into account: a) effects of pollution on seed germination, b) survival and dry matter production of seedlings, and c) time and magnitude in the pollution load reduction. After 45 days, there were not differences in seed germination between polluted and unpolluted soils. However, seedling survival of P. maximum was lower in polluted (64%) than unpolluted soils (93%), while for B. brizantha were similar (82 vs. 100%). The presence of petroleum hydrocarbons caused a strong reduction on total dry matter production (roots and shoots), being for B. brizantha and P. maximum only 11.4 and 1.2 % of the total production obtained in unpolluted soils. In spite of the strong impact of pollution on dry matter production of seedlings at day 45, soils with the plants reached at day 240 a significant reduction of oil content respect to the control. Results showed that both species have potential to decontaminate soils with oil light crude concentrations equal or lower than 3 %.

Palavras-chave : Bioremediation; germination; petroleum hydrocarbons.