Influence of the phenological stages of Heliconia psittacorum on the removal of hydrocarbons from contaminated soils

Abstract

The phytoremediation potential of Heliconia psittacorum was evaluated for removing total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Ni) from highly contaminated soils in the Ecuadorian Amazon. An experiment was set up with 225 plants distributed across three phenological stages: rhizome propagation, growth, and pre-flowering. Survival, plant height, and contaminant levels were measured before and after application. The soil had an initial TPH level of 10,457.69 mg/kg, exceeding the regulatory limit for agricultural use by more than 2,000%. The results indicated that the growth stage achieved the highest TPH removal efficiency (56.43%), followed by pre-flowering (44.30%), while rhizome propagation achieved only 6.01%. No significant removal of Cd or Pb was observed, although Ni showed a reduction only in the growth phase (12.07%). The highest survival and growth rates were observed in pre-flowering, reflecting greater tolerance to contamination stress. It was concluded that H. psittacorum has high phytoremediation potential in advanced phenological phases, making it a viable biotechnological alternative for the ecological recovery of soils affected by oil activity in tropical regions. These findings support the implementation of strategies based on plant phenology to optimize environmental remediation.