Some Plant Extracts Potential in Cleaning Soil Environment Contaminated with Petroleum Hydrocarbon

Year : 2026 | Volume : 16 | Issue : 02 | Page : 27 39
    By

    Ukpaka Chukwuemeka Peter,

  • Okwu Kingsley,

  1. Professor, Department of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering, Rivers State University Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
  2. Lecture II, Department of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering, Rivers State University Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This research considered the trend of some agro-based plant extracts obtained from paw paw, mango and aloe-vera leaves for the purpose of treatment of a contaminated soil environment. The potential of each agro-based plant extract was tested with respect to its ability in the area of petroleum hydrocarbon clean-up in soil environment. The impact of the variation on the pH on each of the bioreactor set-up was monitored and the trend illustrates the role of the bio-stimulant in enhancing remediation programs. The soil samples were evaluated for an interval of 5 days in 20 days. The parameters evaluated were pH level and total hydrocarbon content (THC). The analysis of the soil samples throughout the remediation period showed that the rate of reduction of the total hydrocarbon content increased as the amount of the bio-stimulant of the plant extracts increased. The evaluation of the study revealed that the Aloe-Vera has the highest reduction rate in the total hydrocarbon content in 20 days, followed by Mango and Paw-Paw with 18%, 9.3% and 7.94% respectively. Therefore, the Aloe-Vera leave extract is best used for the remediation of a crude oil polluted soil environment compared to Mango and Paw-Paw. However, the significance of the investigation was to check the suitability of these agro-based plant extracts to be use as a bio-simulants or bio-remediants and the obtained results shows that the variation in the pH was observed to have cause the active site of the microbes inhibited and this can influence the remediation process. The depletion in the concentration of the petroleum hydrocarbon revealed the potential benefit of the bio-simulants application in cleaning polluted soil environment.

Keywords: Cleaning, potential, mango, paw-paw, aloe-vera, remediation

[This article belongs to Journal of Petroleum Engineering & Technology ]

How to cite this article:
Ukpaka Chukwuemeka Peter, Okwu Kingsley. Some Plant Extracts Potential in Cleaning Soil Environment Contaminated with Petroleum Hydrocarbon. Journal of Petroleum Engineering & Technology. 2026; 16(02):27-39.
How to cite this URL:
Ukpaka Chukwuemeka Peter, Okwu Kingsley. Some Plant Extracts Potential in Cleaning Soil Environment Contaminated with Petroleum Hydrocarbon. Journal of Petroleum Engineering & Technology. 2026; 16(02):27-39. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jopet/article=2026/view=250280


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Regular Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 16
Issue 02
Received 28/02/2026
Accepted 05/03/2026
Published 04/05/2026
Publication Time 65 Days
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