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. 2021 May;28(5):2667-2676.
doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.03.044. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

Biostimulation potential of biochar for remediating the crude oil contaminated soil and plant growth

Maimona Saeed  1 , Noshin Ilyas  1 , Krish Jayachandran  2 , Shagufta Gaffar  2 , Muhammad Arshad  1 , Muhammad Sheeraz Ahmad  3 , Fatima Bibi  1 , Kaouthar Jeddi  4 , Kamel Hessini  5
Affiliations

Biostimulation potential of biochar for remediating the crude oil contaminated soil and plant growth

Maimona Saeed et al. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2021 May.

Abstract

Crude oil contamination is a serious environmental threat to soil and plants growing in it. Biochar has the potential of biostimulation for remediation of crude oil-contaminated soil. Therefore, the current research was designed to analyze the bio-stimulatory impact of biochar for remediating the crude oil contaminated soil (10%, and 15%), and growth of maize under glasshouse conditions. Biochar was produced by pyrolysis of Australian pines at 350 °C. Soil incubations were done for 20 days. The results of soil analysis showed that the crude oil degradation efficiency of biochar was 34%. The soil enzymatic activities had shown 38.5% increase in fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis and 55.6% increase in dehydrogenase activity in soil incubated with biochar in comparison to control. The soil microbial diversity was improved to 41% in biochar treated soil with respect to untreated one, while microbial respiration rate had shown a 33.67% increase in soil incubated with biochar with respect to control under oil stress. Gas Chromatography Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis had shown the high content of low molecular weight hydrocarbons (C9-C13) in the soil incubated with biochar in comparison to untreated soil. Biochar showed a significant increase in fresh and dry biomass (25%, 14.61%), leaf area (10%), total chlorophyll (11%), water potential (21.6%), osmotic potential (21%), and membrane stability index (12.7%). Moreover, biochar treatment showed a higher increase in the contents of proline (29%), total amino acids (18%), soluble sugars (30.4%), and antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (16.5%), catalase (11%), and peroxidase (12%). Overall, the results of the present study suggest the bio-stimulating potential of biochar for degradation of hydrocarbons in crude oil contaminated soil and their growth-stimulating effects on maize.

Keywords: Biochar; Biostimulation; Crude oil; Maize.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Variations in the fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis of all treatments with remediation time. Where, T0 = Control soil T1 = 10% contaminated soil with crude oil, T2 = 15% contaminated soil with crude oil, T3 = Biochar + Control Soil, T 4 = Biochar + 10% contaminated soil with crude oil, T5 = Biochar + 15% contaminated soil with crude oil.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Variations in the dehydrogenase activity of all treatments with remediation time. Where, T0 = Control soil T1 = 10% contaminated soil with crude oil, T2 = 15% contaminated soil with crude oil , T3 = Biochar + Control Soil, T 4 = Biochar + 10% contaminated soil with crude oil, T5 = Biochar + 15% contaminated soil with crude oil.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Variations in the microbial diversity of all treatments with remediation time. Where, T0 = Control soil T1 = 10% contaminated soil with crude oil, T2 = 15% contaminated soil with crude oil , T3 = Biochar + Control Soil, T 4 = Biochar + 10% contaminated soil with crude oil, T5 = Biochar + 15% contaminated soil with crude oil.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Variations in the microbial respiration rate of all treatments with remediation time. Where, T0 = Control soil T1 = 10% contaminated soil with crude oil, T2 = 15% contaminated soil with crude oil, T3 = Biochar + Control Soil, T 4 = Biochar + 10% contaminated soil with crude oil, T5 = Biochar + 15% contaminated soil with crude oil.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
The residual hydrocarbons concentration of all treatments with remediation time. Where, T0 = Control soil T1 = 10% contaminated soil with crude oil, T2 = 15% contaminated soil with crude oil, T3 = Biochar + Control Soil, T 4 = Biochar + 10% contaminated soil with crude oil, T5 = Biochar + 15% contaminated soil with crude oil.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Biodegradation of hydrocarbons (%) of all treatments. Where, T0 = Control soil T1 = 10% contaminated soil with crude oil, T2 = 15% contaminated soil with crude oil, T3 = Biochar + Control Soil, T 4 = Biochar + 15% contaminated soil with crude oil, T5 = Biochar + 15% contaminated soil with crude oil.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
A heat map showing the correlation between different parameters and treatments.
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