RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY (RSM) APPLICATION FOR OPTIMIZATION OF PHYTOREMEDIATION PROCESS USING Paspalum srobiculatum L.Hack.

Abstract

Massive amounts of soil and water have been contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPHs), including diesel and petrochemical products, due to the economic and industrial activities. Petroleum products contain chemicals that are carcinogenic and potentially mutagenic. Phytoremediation, the use of plant to treat the petroleum hydrocarbon contamination had been used in this study. Diesel was chosen to represent the petroleum hydrocarbon contamination and analysed as the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPHs). The plant used as a phytoremediator was Paspalum scrobiculatum L.Hack. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed, using a BoxBehnken design to optimize the three variables, which are diesel concentration, sampling day and aeration in order to get the maximum TPH degradation of diesel. From the analysis of variance (ANOVA), the value (0.8530) of the coefficient of determination (R2 ) was obtained. The optimal condition was established at diesel concentration of 3.00 g/kg, 70 days of sampling day and 0.27 L/min of aeration. Under optimal value of parameters, the maximum TPH degradation of diesel was found to be 75%.