Phytoremediation, Vermiremediation and Efficiency Assessments of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Contaminated Surface Water from Okpoka Creek, Niger-Delta Nigeria using Cyperus odoratus, Colocasia esculenta, Phoenix roebelenii and Eisenia fetida

Abstract

The liquid-liquid extraction of Petroleum contaminated surface water samples were conducted in accordance with standard procedure of US EPA. Identification and quantification of TPHs was performed by Gas chromatograph with Mass spectrometric detection (GC/MSD) in accordance with standard analytical method of US EPA 8270;625. The TPHs raw sample showed an elevated value of 104762.42 mg/L above the DPR/EGASPIN maximum contamination limit (MCL). At week 5, TPHs phytoremediations in the monoculture reactors removal efficiency was (31.28 mg/L) 99.97% and mixedculture indicated (19.72 mg/L) 99.98%; their concentrations were above DPR/EGASPIN MCL while polyculture indicated (8.91 mg/L) 99.99% value was below DPR/EGASPIN MCL. The combination of phytoremediation and vermiremediation techniques in polyculture reactors showed better and spectacular results as the biotas demonstrated good potentiality of hyperbioaccumulation to serve as hydrocarbon sinks from the ecotoxics of TPHs.