Investigating the Effectiveness of Aquatic Plant Species as Bioindicators for Detecting Petroleum Hydrocarbon Pollution in the Marsh Ecosystems of Ogoniland, Niger Delta, Nigeria

• Authors: Paul Bassey Ekpo , Inyang Paul Ekpo , Abu Gabriel Inaku , Henderson Onah Ogbaji , Florence Ben Unoh , Itoro Effiong Job , Nsisong Mfon Effiong
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The Niger Delta region, particularly Ogoniland, has faced extensive environmental pollution due to petroleum activities, raising concerns about the contamination of aquatic ecosystems. This study aimed to investigate the levels of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), and n-Alkanes in four aquatic plant species Eichhornia crassipes, Phragmites karka, Typha domingensis, and Nymphaea lotus from Ogoniland and evaluate their potential as bioindicators for petroleum contamination. Samples of these aquatic plants were collected from the polluted area and analyzed using Soxhlet extraction for TPHs, spectrofluorometry for total petroleum hydrocarbon quantification, and gas chromatography for PAHs and n-Alkanes. The results revealed that Eichhornia crassipes accumulated the highest concentration of TPHs at 18.7 ± 1.2 µg/g dry weight, followed by Typha domingensis (18.1 ± 1.2 µg/g), Phragmites karka (17.5 ± 1.1 µg/g), and Nymphaea lotus (15.8 ± 1.0 µg/g). Similarly, Eichhornia crassipes also showed the highest PAH levels at 112.5 ± 8.4 ng/g, whereas Nymphaea lotus had the lowest PAH concentration at 101.2 ± 7.5 ng/g. The study found a predominance of high molecular weight PAHs and identified a biogenic origin for most n-Alkanes, with Phragmites karka reflecting some anthropogenic influences. These findings suggest that Eichhornia crassipes is the most effective bioindicator for petroleum contamination among the studied species, highlighting the value of aquatic plants in environmental monitoring. Future research should focus on the long-term effects of petroleum pollutants on these plants and assess how seasonal variations might influence contaminant levels.

Keywords

EN

Aquatic Plants; Bioindicator; Ogoniland; Petroleum Hydrocarbon

Discipline

• BIOTECHNOLOGY: BIOTECHNOLOGY

• Publisher: Scientific Publishing House „DARWIN”
• Journal: World News of Natural Sciences
• Year: 2025
• Volume: 62
• Pages: 106-118

Contributors

author

Paul Bassey Ekpo

• Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

author

Inyang Paul Ekpo

• Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

author

Abu Gabriel Inaku

• Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

author

Henderson Onah Ogbaji

• Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

author

Florence Ben Unoh

• Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

author

Itoro Effiong Job

• Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

author

Nsisong Mfon Effiong

• Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

References

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• Document Type: article