The Soil Petroleum Pollution And Selection Of Remediation Plants For Petroleum Polluted Areas Of The Laojunmiao Region Along The Oil River

During decades of exploitation in the Gansu Yumen oil fields, the petroleum hydrocarbons have been overflowed and discharged by accident or abnormal running in the course of petroleum producing, storing, transporting, refining and using. As a result, they have seriously polluted the soil of the Laojunmiao region along the petroleum river. Despite the pollution, there are some plants in the area that can grow profusely. They have a strong ability in bearing petroleum pollution. This paper analyzed the soil petroleum pollution and selected plants which were best for soil remediation. This has contributed to the rehabilitation of polluted soil, while also preserving virgin soil and water, contributing to the environmental protection and governance of the Northwest arid areas.This experiment used the gravimetric method and UV spectrophotometer to analyze the petroleum pollutants content in soil and plants. Experiments with both methods drew the same conclusion: the soil of Laojunmiao region on the petroleum river has been seriously polluted. The petroleum pollutants levels were especially high near the pollution sources. Far from the pollution sources, the petroleum pollution content was very low.In areas populated with Populus alba, the soil profile deepened, thereby the petroleum pollution content decreased. Where the soil particles were smaller, the content of petroleum pollution was higher. In areas populated with Phragmitas communis and Calamagrostis pseudophragmites where the petroleum pollutants content decreased as covering a distance. However, in areas populated with Phragmitas communis where the oil pollution was less.In the petroleum polluted soil, with the increase of the soil organic matter, the petroleum pollutants also increased. On the other hand, the Ph levels of the soil and the water content were rather remote from the levels of petroleum pollutants. In areas populated with other plants except Populus alba, where the soil particles were larger than 1mm, the petroleum pollutants content was more increased. Where the soil particles were less than 0.25mm soil, despite the lower density, the content of petroleum pollutants was still more increased.Among plants, Phragmitas communis had the highest content of petroleum pollutants with Populus alba, Calamagrostis pseudophragmites, and Kobresia bellardii following. Phragmitas communis also had the highest ratio of petroleum pollutants in plants to soil, with the root and entirely trunk of Populus alba, Calamagrostis pseudophragmites, Kobresia bellardii following.Among these four plants, the petroleum pollutants content of roots was higher than that of the stems and leaves, seeing as roots are main absorbtion part of plants. The petroleum pollutants content of roots was highest in Phragmitas communis with Populus alba, Calamagrostis pseudophragmites, and Kobresia bellardii following. Thus, Phragmitas communis and Populus alba were selected as the best remediation plants.