CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Crude oil/or hydrocarbon pollution
Crude oil is a crucial energy resource and vital industrial raw material. With increasing
industrial production, oil pollution has become a serious worldwide environmental problem,
especially at the oil mining stage in the field (Zhu et al., 2013). Large-scale crude oil spills on
soil, leakages from pipelines, underground and surface fuel storage tanks, indiscriminate
spills and careless disposal and mismanagement of wastes and other petroleum by-products
constitute the major sources of petroleum contamination in our environment. Oil spillage on
soil has many detrimental effects on the composition, structure and functioning of terrestrial
ecosystems, including loss of biodiversity (Osuji et al., 2004). Soil contamination arising
from oil spills is one of the most limiting factors to soil fertility. It affects growth of plants
thereby causing negative impacts on food productivity (Onwurahet al., 2007).
High levels of petroleum hydrocarbons which include alkanes (paraffin), alkenes (olefins)
and various aromatic hydrocarbons are found in crude oil (Oforkaet al., 2012). According to
a report by NNPC (2004), the Nigerian crude oil is characterized by high concentrations of
aromatics (40%) and polars (resins and asphaltenes, 47%). Oil pollutants can get transferred
via food chains and eventually cause adverse effect on human health. In addition, residual oil
hydrocarbons can persist in the soil for decades and have chronic effect on ecosystems and
human beings (Culbertson et al., 2008).The latter has attracted increasing attention because
of the carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic effects (Imeh and Sunday, 2012).
Environmental remediation deals with the removal of pollutants or contaminants from
environmental media such as soil, groundwater, sediments or surface water (Zhu et al., 2004).
Phytoremediation (from Ancient Greek (phyto), meaning "plant", and Latin remedium,
meaning "restoring balance") describes the treatment of environmental problems by using
plants without the need to excavate the contaminant material and dispose of it elsewhere
(Ruiet al., 2012).
Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) is defined as the measurable amount of petroleum-based
hydrocarbon in an environmental medium. It is thus, dependent on analysis of the medium in
which it is found (Adesodun and Mbagwu, 2007). Some chemicals that may be found in TPH
are hexane, jet fuels, mineral oils, benzene, toluene, xylenes, naphthalene and fluorine as well
as other petroleum products and gasoline components. However, it is likely that samples of
TPH will contain only some, or a mixture of these chemicals (USEPA, 2012).
Gas liquid chromatography (GLC) is one of the most powerful, popular, unique and versatile
analytical techniques used for the separation, identification and quantitative assay of
compounds in the vapour state. The popularity of GLC is absolutely centred on high
selectivity, sensitivity, high resolution combined with good accuracy and precision in a wide
dynamic concentration range (Sjaaket al., 2009).
1.2Sansevierialiberica Gerome and Labroy
The genus Sansevieria pronounced (san-se-vi-ee’-ri-ah) – is a member of theFamily
Asparagaceae and is popularly called Snake-plant, Mother
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Crude oil/or hydrocarbon pollution
Crude oil is a crucial energy resource and vital industrial raw material. With increasing
industrial production, oil pollution has become a serious worldwide environmental problem,
especially at the oil mining stage in the field (Zhu et al., 2013). Large-scale crude oil spills on
soil, leakages from pipelines, underground and surface fuel storage tanks, indiscriminate
spills and careless disposal and mismanagement of wastes and other petroleum by-products
constitute the major sources of petroleum contamination in our environment. Oil spillage on
soil has many detrimental effects on the composition, structure and functioning of terrestrial
ecosystems, including loss of biodiversity (Osuji et al., 2004). Soil contamination arising
from oil spills is one of the most limiting factors to soil fertility. It affects growth of plants
thereby causing negative impacts on food productivity (Onwurahet al., 2007).
High levels of petroleum hydrocarbons which include alkanes (paraffin), alkenes (olefins)
and various aromatic hydrocarbons are found in crude oil (Oforkaet al., 2012). According to
a report by NNPC (2004), the Nigerian crude oil is characterized by high concentrations of
aromatics (40%) and polars (resins and asphaltenes, 47%). Oil pollutants can get transferred
via food chains and eventually cause adverse effect on human health. In addition, residual oil
hydrocarbons can persist in the soil for decades and have chronic effect on ecosystems and
human beings (Culbertson et al., 2008).The latter has attracted increasing attention because
of the carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic effects (Imeh and Sunday, 2012).
Environmental remediation deals with the removal of pollutants or contaminants from
environmental media such as soil, groundwater, sediments or surface water (Zhu et al., 2004).
Phytoremediation (from Ancient Greek (phyto), meaning "plant", and Latin remedium,
meaning "restoring balance") describes the treatment of environmental problems by using
plants without the need to excavate the contaminant material and dispose of it elsewhere
(Ruiet al., 2012).
Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) is defined as the measurable amount of petroleum-based
hydrocarbon in an environmental medium. It is thus, dependent on analysis of the medium in
which it is found (Adesodun and Mbagwu, 2007). Some chemicals that may be found in TPH
are hexane, jet fuels, mineral oils, benzene, toluene, xylenes, naphthalene and fluorine as well
as other petroleum products and gasoline components. However, it is likely that samples of
TPH will contain only some, or a mixture of these chemicals (USEPA, 2012).
Gas liquid chromatography (GLC) is one of the most powerful, popular, unique and versatile
analytical techniques used for the separation, identification and quantitative assay of
compounds in the vapour state. The popularity of GLC is absolutely centred on high
selectivity, sensitivity, high resolution combined with good accuracy and precision in a wide
dynamic concentration range (Sjaaket al., 2009).
1.2Sansevierialiberica Gerome and Labroy
The genus Sansevieria pronounced (san-se-vi-ee’-ri-ah) – is a member of theFamily
Asparagaceae and is popularly called Snake-plant, Mother
