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Abstract

A pot experiment was set up to investigate the effects of spent engine oil (SEO) soil on plant growth parameters of Cucumis sativus. This was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Soils were contaminated with different levels of spent engine oil (0ml = control, 20ml, 50ml and 100ml) while growth parameters (leaves number, shoot length and internode) were determined at 14 days after planting (DAP) at an interval of 7 days for four consecutive rounds. The results confirmed that the contaminant significantly reduced the growth of studied plant. Correlation analysis indicated that spent engine oil contamination was responsible for 88.2% reduction in the shoot length, 96.5% reduction in leaf number and 91.6% reduction in internodes. Also, polynomial regression analysis enhanced the derivation of time-dependent models predicting the variation in growth parameters as a function of contaminant concentrations. These models retained high accuracy of predictions (with R 2 values ranging from 0.551 -0.999). From this study, evidences abound that the growth reducing effects of spent engine oil may be predicted using biometric techniques. Knowledge from such predictions may be useful for better understanding of the effects of different levels of contamination / pollution on crops and may be incorporated for the betterment of remediation of the effects of petroleum-based contaminants on this and other crops.