Revista de biorremediación y biodegradación

Abstracto

Tolerance of Tree Reforestation Species (Schizolobium parahyba, Mimosa scabrella and Enterolobium contortisiliquum) to Gasoline and Diesel Phytotoxicity Assays

Priscila Jane Romano de Oliveira Gonçalves, Lucas Coelho Vieira, Alexandre Verzani Nogueira, Henry Xavier Corseuil and Melissa Paola Mezzari

Schizolobium parahyba (tower tree), Mimosa scabrella (bracatinga) and Enterolobium contortisiliquum (earpod tree) are Brazilian native trees used for reforestation of degraded areas. In order to evaluate their probable success on phytoremediation of degraded areas contaminated with petroleum derived compounds, a simple short-term acute toxicity assay with diesel and gasoline was performed. Plants were germinated in contaminant-free conditions and adapted in hydroponic solution prior to the one-week hydroponic toxicity test, which was supplemented with diesel at 0, 8, 16, 33 and 66 gL-1 and gasoline at 0, 0.7, 1.5, 3 and 6 gL-1. Parameters examined were fresh weight, root and shoot length, dry biomass and transpiration rate. Phytotoxic effects on transpiration analysis from gasoline were less severe than diesel. S. parahyba, M. scabrella and E. contortisiliquum presented a maximum reduction of 59%, 76% and 82% in transpiration from diesel toxicity test. Diesel affected significantly both M. scabrella (dry weight) and S. parahyba (fresh biomass and height), whereas gasoline significantly reduced S. parahyba dry weight. Results suggest that Enterolobium contortisiliquum is the most tolerant species to diesel and Mimosa scabrella to gasoline. The present research shows the feasibility of the short-term hydroponic study as a primary evaluation of diesel and gasoline toxic responses from selected native trees.