Eco-Friendly Innovation: Harnessing the Remarkable Bio Remediation Potential of Vernonia SPP for Sustainable Restoration of Hydrocarbon-Polluted Clay Soil in Ogoni Land Nigeria

This study harnesses the bio-remediation potential of Vernonia spp. to restore hydrocarbon-polluted clay soil in Ogoni Land, Nigeria. Our research explores the eco-friendly and sustainable use of Vernonia spp. to promote soil restoration while minimizing external additives. Greenhouse experiments assessed the bio-remediation efficiency of Vernonia spp. in different soil conditions, analyzing physical and chemical properties and hydrocarbon degradation. Results show promising bio-remediation potential, with wet-blended Vernonia species achieving high concentrations (0.55 ug/ml and 0.67 ug/ml) and enhanced removal of hydrocarbon pollutants. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of Vernonia spp. in restoring polluted soil, offering a cost-effective and sustainable approach for environmental remediation. By leveraging natural bio-remediation processes, we can reduce reliance on external additives and mitigate environmental impacts associated with traditional methods, promoting eco-friendly restoration of hydrocarbon-polluted soil in Ogoni Land and beyond.The remediation process showed a pH increase from acidic to alkaline, indicating metal remediation. After 40 days, the pH reached 6.97 and 7.00 with 40g of Vernonia galamensis and Vernonia amygdalina, respectively. Interestingly, Vernonia galamensis showed decreased HC remediation efficiency with increasing mass, while Vernonia amygdalina showed increased efficiency. The highest remediation values were observed at 35g and 40g for Vernonia galamensis and Vernonia amygdalina, respectively. However, zinc remediation was relatively lower (0.25 ug/ml), suggesting contaminant-specific remediation potential. The wet-blended preparation method showed higher remediation effects for zinc, while room-dried samples performed poorly (0.17 ug/ml and 0.10 ug/ml). Both leaf extracts showed similar chromium remediation (0.5 ug/ml). The sun-dried and room-dried methods also showed considerable remediation potential (>0.4 ug/ml). The model's significance level was 0.05, with an appreciable r2 value, indicating the effectiveness of different preparation methods and Vernonia species in soil remediation. Keywords: Bio-remediation, phytoremediation, Vernonia spp., hydrocarbon pollution, clay soil, Ogoni Land, sustainable restoration, eco-friendly innovation.