Abstract

Artisanal crude oil refining spills crude oil and refined products, in addition, releases soot into the environment. This can impact negatively on plants within the vicinity of pollution. This study aimed to assess the impact of artisanal refinery operations on plants in Igia-Ama, Tombia Kingdom, Rivers State, Nigeria. The concentrations of heavy metals, hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were determined in plant tissues, using standard APHA methods. The microbial population on the plants was determined using standard plate count. The mean total heterotrophic bacterial count (THBC) for Chromolaena odorata during the wet and dry seasons respectively was 6.8 log CFU/g and 7.8 log CFU/g; the mean total fungal count (TFC) was .................................................