Role of Plants and Microbes in Bioremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons Contaminated Soils

Petroleum hydrocarbons contamination of soil, sediments and marine environment associated with the inadvertent discharges of petroleum–derived chemical wastes and petroleum hydrocarbons associated with spillage and other sources into the environment often pose harmful effects on human health and the natural environment, and have negative socio–economic impacts in the oil–producing host communities. In practice, plants and microbes have played a major role in microbial transformation and growth–linked mineralization of petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated soils and/or sediments over the past years. Bioremediation strategies has been recognized as an environmental friendly and cost–effective alternative in comparison with the traditional physico-chemical approaches for the restoration and reclamation of contaminated sites. The success of any plant–based remediation strategy depends on the interaction of plants with rhizospheric microbial populations in the surrounding soil medium and the organic contaminant. Effective understanding of the fate and behaviour of organic contaminants in the soil can help determine the persistence of the contaminant in the terrestrial environment, promote the success of any bioremediation approach and help develop a high–level of risks mitigation strategies. In this review paper, we provide a clear insight into the role of plants and microbes in the microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated soil that have emerged from the growing body of bioremediation research and its applications in practice. In addition, plant–microbe interactions have been discussed with respect to biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons and these could provide a better understanding of some important factors necessary for development of in situ bioremediation strategies for risks mitigation in petroleum hydrocarbon–contaminated soil