f.o uhegbu - Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological and Physical Sciences. Abia State University. PMB ۲۰۰۰ Uturu, Nigeria.
e.i akubugwo - Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological and Physical Sciences. Abia State University. PMB ۲۰۰۰ Uturu, Nigeria.
e.j iweala - Department of Biological Sciences (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit), College of Science and Technology, Covenant University, P.M.B ۱۰۲۳, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.
o.c uhegbu - Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Port-Harcourt, PMB ۲۵۲۳ Port-Harcourt, Nigeria.

The impact of waste engine oil on soil and the growth of Zea mays seeds were investigated in this paper. Three concentrations of 500mL, 1000mL, and 1500mL waste engine oil applied to the soil affected the soil and growth of Zea mays seeds. The pH of soil increased from 6.0 (control) to 6.7 (1500mL), moisture contentdecreased significantly [p<0.05] from 12.0 to 10.9%, while phosphorus decreased significantly [p<0.05] from 35.0 to 20.0mg/kg. The reductions in the measured parameters were significant at [p<0.05]. Potassium decreased from 0.20+0.01 to 0.18+0.06umol/kg, magnesium from 2.80 ±0.02 to 1.80±0.01umol/kg, and calcium from 7.40+0.04 to 6.24+ 0.01 umol/kg. Germination of theseed, growth rate and leaf spread were also delayed. This study showed to a great extent that spent engine oil affects vegetative land and suggests that plants could be used as bio-indicators of pollution in oil producing and oil spillage prone areas of the Niger Delta of Nigeria

Spillage , Contamination , Pollution , Environmental impacts , Plants , Bio-indicators