ABSTRACT
Soil contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons is one of the most studied subjects for the development of remediation technologies because of the wide use of oil crude and, therefore, the high probability of spills on soils, causing severe damage to ecosystems. Among the techniques of rehabilitation of soil impacted by hydrocarbons, there has been an increasing interest in phytoremediation because it is an aesthetically pleasing, passive procedure, which is useful in simultaneously attacking a great variety of contaminants. Additionally, its use is enviromentally friendly, and the cost is lower as compared to other physical or chemical treatments. In tropical lowland areas, such as in Venezuela, phytoremediation is advantageous because of the warm and almost constant temperatures throughout the year, which favor plant growth and micro¬ora activity if water and nutrients are provided in adequate amounts.
