Al-Ateeqi, Sarah Salah (2014) Phytoremediation of oil-polluted desert soil in Kuwait using native plant species. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/5751/ Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten:Theses http://theses.gla.ac.uk/
[email protected] Phytoremediation of oil-polluted desert soil in Kuwait using native plant species Sarah Salah Al-Ateeqi This Thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. School of Life Science College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow November 2014 ii Abstract As a result of damage caused during the First Gulf War in 1990-1991, the Kuwaiti environment suffered from drastic pollution caused by massive petroleum hydrocarbon contamination resulting from the destruction and burning of 700 oil wells across Kuwait. A range of types of polluted soils, including fresh oil lakes, dry oil lakes, and tarcretes, damaged desert wildlife. The idea of phytoremediaton using native plants was introduced and concluded that the native species Haloxylon salicornicum (Amaranthaceae) had potential as a phytoremediator.