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ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effects of spent engine oil on plant growth parameters and enzyme activity in Groundnut plant (Arachis hypogaea). Groundnut was grown on soils contaminated with 5ml, 10ml, 15ml, of spent engine oil and the experiment lasted for 4 weeks. Data obtained were analyzed using ANOVA and least significant difference (LSD) at p ˂ 0.05. The number of leaves, leaf area and leaf weight were determined at the start of every assay, while the percentage germination was evaluated at the end of every week. Results showed that the mean leaf number, leaf weight, leaf area and percentage germination of groundnut plant decreased with increasing level of contamination with spent engine oil. The highest mean leaf number which is 33.70 was recorded for the control. Antioxidants such as, superoxide dimutase (SOD), catalase, malonyldialdehyde (MDA) gluthatione peroxidase (GPx) in A. hypogaea at week 2, differed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) from those planted at week 3 and week 4 of the spent oil contaminated soils. The reductions in these growth characteristics measured were spent engine oil concentration dependent, and elevated activity of anti-oxidative enzymes can assist as important components of antioxidative defense mechanism against oxidative damage. The results of this study could be beneficial in the understanding of the role of the defense system of the body. Besides these parameters, also significant reduction in lipase activity of the plant was recorded, and yellowish leaf coloration due to reduction in chlorophyll content were observed among the plants grown in the spent oil contaminated soils. Spent engine oil therefore had pronounced effects on the germination and growth of groundnut plant as revealed by this study. Therefore, groundnut plant should not be grown near or on soil contaminated with spent engine oil.
