Biosorption Potential of Breadfruit Husk for Remediating Crude Oil-Contaminated Soil

Background and Objective: Crude oil pollution is an issue of prime concern in most developing countries of the world. The study was conducted to evaluate the potential of breadfruit seed husks in remediating soil contaminated with heavy metals. Soil contamination with heavy metals and crude oil poses significant environmental concerns, necessitating effective remediation strategies. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of breadfruit husk extract in reducing heavy metal concentrations and improving soil quality over time. Materials and Methods: Equal volumes of soil samples were collected and spiked with 100 mL of crude oil to simulate contamination. The samples were left undisturbed for 2 weeks to mimic major spill conditions. Five different treatments were applied to the contaminated soil: 50, 100, and 150 g of breadfruit husk extract, along with polluted unamended and natural soil as controls. Each treatment was set up in triplicate and monitored for 5 months. Physicochemical properties and selected heavy metals (Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, and Copper) were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Data were analyzed using ANOVA at a 0.05% probability level with SAS and IBM SPSS Statistics 20 software. Results: Two weeks after crude oil contamination, alterations in the physicochemical properties of the soil were observed. Heavy metal concentrations in both the control and breadfruit husk-treated soils decreased over time. The total hydrocarbon content was reduced by 20.33, 50.9, and 665.09% for soils treated with 50, 100, and 150 g of breadfruit husk extract, respectively. The highest reductions in heavy metal concentrations were observed in the treated soils compared to controls. Optimum remediation was achieved at 150 and 100 g of breadfruit husk extract within 5 weeks. Conclusion: Breadfruit husk extract proved to be an effective remediation material for heavy metal-contaminated soil. The study demonstrated that increasing the concentration of breadfruit husk extract enhances the remediation process, with the highest efficiency observed at 150 g. These findings suggest that breadfruit husk extract could be utilized as a natural and sustainable soil remediation strategy.