Effect of Crude Oil Pollution on the Nucleic Acid Concentration of Portulaca Oleraceae

Abstract

Aim of this study is to investigate the effect of crude oil pollution on the genome size, and nucleic acid concentration of Portulaca oleracea. Varying amounts of crude oil (0ml, 200ml, 400ml, 800ml and 1000ml) were used to pollute 10kg bags of loam soil, onto which Portulaca oleracea were transplanted, and the study lasted for 4 weeks. Data were collected for nucleic acid concentration. The application of crude oil on the soil consistently decreased the mean concentration of nucleic acid from 92.83 ng/µl, for the control treatment, to the lowest mean concentration of 9.77 ng/µl, for the 1000ml crude oil treatment. This shows an 89.41% decrement in concentration of nucleic acid. This is evident in decreasing staining with increase in crude oil treatment of the 10Kb bands observed in the pictogram of the gel electrophoresis. Crude oil treatment of P. oleracea does not affect the genome size of the plant, but it has an effect on the nucleic acid concentration of the plant, as is evident in the low staining effect of the gel electrophoresis bands as the crude oil treatment increases. Considering the resilience of P. oleracea and its ability to adapt to the high amounts of crude oil in the soil, it is advised that it be employed in the possible phyto-extraction of crude oil and/or phyto-remediation in crude oil polluted soils.