the effect of eisenia fetida on the phytoremediation of anthracne as by lolium perenne

phytoremediation is a sustainable and environment friendly remediation technique, the potential of which in removal of soil contaminants has been well documented. on the other hand the activity of earthworms helps improve soil conditions. hence, it is expected that in soil presence of earthworms can enhance the rate of phytoremediation as regards anthracene. the aim followed in this work was to investigate the effect of a simultaneous application of eisenia fetida along with lolium perenne on the remediation of anthracene pollutant in the soil. the experiments were carried out in the framework of a completely randomized design of seven triplicated treatments. a dose of 500 mg.kg-1 of anthracene was introduced into the soil. the experiments were continued for a period of 3 months, following which the residual anthracene was assessed through hplc. the results revealed that, eisenia fetida and lolium prenne could each independently remove 19.4% vs. 24.2% of anthracene, respectively. however, a simultaneous introduction of the earthworm along with an establishment of the plant in soil increased the rate of anthracene removal up to a complete disappearance.