Productivity and distribution of epipellic microalgae along salinity gradients in mangrove swamp of the Qua Iboe Estuary (Nigeria).

Based on spatial variation in tidal mud salinity, direct gradient analysis procedures were adopted to relate the productivity and distribution of epipellic microalgae along salinity gradients in mangrove swamp of the Qua Iboe Estuary. Variations in mud salinities were due to distance from the coast, tidal incursions and freshwater input. The dilution effect of fresh water input from rainfall, urban runoff and associated freshwater creeks was most severe during the rainy season month of July, with much lower salinity levels recorded, in comparison to higher salinity values, recorded for same sampling locations during the drier month of December. In the dry season, all the microalgae species but Closterium (a genus of soft, green algae) and Oscillatoria (a cyanobacterium) species encountered in the tidal mud flats showed statistically significant negative correlations with salinity, while most microalgae species excluding Oscillatoria and Closterium species were positively correlated with the same factor during the wet season. Four Ecological Groups of microalgae, were established in the dry season month of December as against two Ecological Groups in the wet season month of July. However no microalgae species was found to occur on the highest values of mud salinity and there were overlapping range of occurrences and ecological optima for most species along the gradients.

Bioamendment of petroleum contaminated ultisol: effect on oil content, heavy metals and pH of tropical soil.

The effect of organic amendments on the oil content, heavy metals concentration and pH of petroleum contaminated sandy loam ultisol obtained from Rumuekpe oil field in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria was determined. Petroleum contaminated soils were treated with wood ash, compost and sawdust. The addition of organic amendments resulted in a significant (at 95% probability level) decrease in oil content by 92% for composting, 81% for soil treated with sawdust and 58% for soil with ash supplementation, over 6 months. The effect of treatments on the iron(Fe), copper(Cu) and lead(Pb) concentration was significant at P < 0.001. The remediation also affected the pH of soil. This initial pH of 5.6 was depressed by the application of compost and sawdust supplements respectively to a final pH of 5.2 and 5.3. On the other hand, amending the soil with wood ash raised the pH from 5.6 to 6.2. Increased acidity caused a decrease in the heavy metals concentration in the contaminated soil. Soil treatment with compost generally gave the best remediation results, followed by sawdust and then ash. Adjusting the pH of oil contaminated soil to high acidic levels may promote the availability and migration of heavy metals in remediated soils and not necessarily the rate of oil mineralization.