Efficiency of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms for phytoremediation of oil hydrocarbons in constructed Wetlands systems
Xenobiotic residues; flooded systems; environmental biotechnology
In 2019, the Brazilian coast was the scene of one of the greatest environmental tragedies, resulting from oil spillage which had a considerable impact on the environment and socioeconomic sector of the affected regions. As a mixture of hydrocarbon molecules (aliphatic or aromatic) and, in smaller concentration, non-hydrocarbon compounds, the crude oil impacts the environment in different magnitudes, since the residues are retained in the soil/sediments, dispersed in water or bioaccumulated in the different organisms in contact with it. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of Eichhornia crassipes for the phytoremediation of residual hydrocarbons from the crude oil in a pilot wetland system, using analytical techniques for monitoring the residual water after treatment and to verify the applicability of Trichoderma spp. as an elicitor for root area development of E. crassipes in aquatic environment. Due to the promising results, the proposed system and the efficient concentration of microspore solution for aquatic environment are under evaluation for patent filing.