A comparative analysis of eco-toxicity of crude oil pollution on the chlorophyll biosynthesis in two agro-forestry species

Abstract

A short-term ecological study was conducted to ascertain the degree of envisaged impact of petroleum pollution to biota (macrophyte) in a polluted habitat. The biosynthetic process in chlorophyll content reflects the level of the photosynthetic activities. It was envisaged that such biosynthetic process of pigment formation could become a sensitivity index to any polluted environment. To this end, this study has elucidated the importance of petroleum on photosynthetic capacity of two agroforestry species (Leucaena leucocephala and Bauhinia monandra). The relative accumulation of the pigments was used to evaluate the influence of petroleum on the biosynthetic process of the plant species in focus. Results have established (with the variation in the optical transmittance of the pigment) the concentration of the chlorophyll pigment in various pollution intensities. The result showed 4792 mg/g in the control for L. leucocephala. 3195 mg/g, 1118 mg/g and 958 mg/g with percentage depression of 58.6%, 68.7% and 76.5% in the respective (25, 50 and 100 ml) pollution levels. B. monandra had 1438 mg/g in the control. 1118, 958 mg/g and 479 mg/g) and (%) depression of 59.9 69.0 and 78.1 (%) respectively. The variations in the species pigment content indicate the predicament of both species and consequently their sensitivity potential to a polluted habitat. Hence such index provides a means of determining the importance of petroleum in accounting for photosynthetic rate and yield potential under environmental condition.

Keywords: Leucaena leucocephala, Bauhinia monandra, chlorophyll, crude oil toxicity, oil pollution

Global Journal of Environmental Sciences Vol. 4(2) 2005: 127–130