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8753672 
Journal Article 
Petroleum pollution and its ecological impact on salsola glauca bunge in the Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve, China 
Wang, C; Zuo, J; Liu, L; Qin, S; Yu, J; Liu, J 
2011 
1 
Fresenius Environmental Bulletin
ISSN: 1018-4619
EISSN: 1610-2304 
20 
8 
1904-1909 
English 
WOS:000294318900005 
With its close proximity to Shengli Oilfield, China's second largest oilfield, the ecosystem of Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve (YRDNR) is at high risk for crude oil contamination. In this study, the total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) of soil and its ecological impact on Salsola glauca Bunge (S. glauca) in YRDNR were studied by in-situ investigation and laboratory experiments to study the petroleum pollution level of YRDNR and evaluate possibilities of S. glauca for potentially restoring oilcontaminated soil. Concentrations of TPH in the sediments of YRDNR varied from 77.72 to 4850 mg/kg dry wt, indicating that the pollution level was relatively low or moderate compared to world-wide locations reported to be chronically contaminated by oil. Oil pollution may exert influence on the biological and ecological characteristics of S. glauca, and the effect increased with the pollution level. Furthermore, the seed germination time was significantly delayed, and the final germination rate and seedling growth can be restrained when the petroleum pollution concentration in soil was more than 20 g/kg. However, a certain amount of crude oil may stimulate the growth of S. glauca. Dissipation of TPH in the vegetated soils ranging from 25.2% to 43.6% indicated the potential of phytoremediation by S. glauca. These studies have proven that S. glauca has a potential in phytoremediation of oil-contaminated soil of YRDNR at present petroleum pollution level. © by PSP. 
Ecological impact; Petroleum pollution; Phytoremediation; S. Glauca