“Co-culture Engineering”for Enhanced Phytoremediation of Metal Contaminated Soils

A co-culture of two plant materials, Astragalus sinicus L., a leguminous plant with concomitant nodules, and Elsholtzia splendens Naki-a Cu accumulator, along with treatments of a chelating agent (EDTA), root excretions (citric acid), and a control with E. splendens only were used to compare the mobility of heavy metals in chelating agents with a co-culture and to determine the potential for co-culture phytoremediation in heavy metal contaminated soils. The root uptake for Cu, Zn, and Pb in all treatments was significantly greater (P ＜ 0.05) than that of the control treatment. However with translocation in the shoots, only Cu, Zn, and Pb in plants grown with the EDTA treatment and Zn in plants cocropped with the A. sinicus treatment increased significantly (P ＜ 0.05). In addition, when a co-culture in soils with heavy and moderate contamination was compared, for roots in moderately contaminated soils only Zn concentration was significantly less (P ＜ 0.05) than that of heavily contaminated soils, however, Cu, Zn, and Pb concentrations of shoots were all significantly lower (P ＜ 0.05). Overall, this 'co-culture engineering' could be as effective as or even more effective than chelating agents, thereby preventing plant metal toxicity and metal leaching in soils as was usually observed in chelate-enhanced phytoremediation.

ORC-GAC-Fe^0 system for the remediation of trichloroethylene and monochlorobenzene contaminated aquifer:1. Adsorption and degradation

Activities at a former Chemistry Triangle in Bitterfeld, Germany, resulted in contamination of groundwater with a mixture of trichloroethylene(TCE) and monochlorobenzene(MCB). The objective of this study was to develop a barrier system, which includes an ORC(oxygen release compounds) and GAC(granular activated carbon) layer for adsorption of MCB and bioregeneration of GAC, a Fe 0 layer for chemical reductive dechlorination of TCE and other chlorinated hydrocarbon in situ . A laboratory-scale column experiment was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of this proposed system. This experiment was performed using a series of continuous flow Teflon columns including an ORC column, a GAC column, and a Fe 0 column. Simulated MCB and TCE contaminated groundwater was pumped upflow into this system at a flow rate of 1.1 ml/min. Results showed that 17%—50% of TCE and 28%—50% of MCB were dissipated in ORC column. Chloride ion, however, was not released, which suggest the dechlorination do not happen in ORC column. In GAC column, the adsorption of contaminants on activated carbon and their induced degradation by adapted microorganisms attached to the carbon surface were observed. Due to competitive exchange processes, TCE can be desorbed by MCB in GAC column and further degraded in iron column. The completely dechlorination rate of TCE was 0.16—0.18 cm -1 , 1—4 magnitudes more than the formation rate of three dichloroethene isomers. Cis-DCE is the main chlorinated product, which can be cumulated in the system, not only depending on the formation rate and its decaying rate, but also the initial concentration of TCE.

Microbial activity related to N cycling in the rhizosphere of maize stressed by heavy metals

A greenhouse experiment was carried out to compare differences in potential activities of ammonification, nitrification and denitrification in rhizosphere and bulk soil in a heavy-metal-stressed system. Exchangeable fractions of Cd, Cu and Cr were all higher in the rhizosphere of maize than in bulk soil. Results showed that the mineralization of N in soil was stimulated by low concentration of Cd. Addition of Cd at low levels stimulated the ammonifying and nitrifying activity in soil, while inhibitory influences were shown at high levels. Nitrifying bacteria was proved to be the most sensitive one, whilst the effect on denitrifying bacteria was very limited. Comparing Cd, Cu and Cr(VI) at 20 mg/kg soil, Cd was the most effective inhibitor of ammonification and denitrification, while Cr(VI) had the strongest inhibitory influence on nitrifying activity. Root exudates played important roles on the different exchangeable metal fractions and bacterial activities between rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere. Nitrate was the main form of mineral N in soil, as well as the main form of N absorbed by plants, but the formation and relative absorption of ammonium were promoted in response to high Cd exposure.

Reduction of nitrate from groundwater:powder catalysts and catalytic membrane

The reduction of nitrate contaminant in groundwater has gained renewed and intensive attention due to the environmental problems and health risks. Catalytic denetrification presents one of the most promising approaches for the removal of nitrate from water. Catalytic nitrate reduction from water by powder catalysts and catalytic membrane in a batch reactor was studied. And the effects of the initial concentration, the amounts of catalyst, and the flux H 2 on the nitrate reduction were also discussed. The results demonstrated that nitrate reduction activity and the selectivity to nitrogen gas were mainly controlled by diffusion limitations and the mass transfer of the reactants. The selectivity can improved while retaining a high catalytic activity under controlled diffusion condition or the intensification of the mass transfer, and a good reaction condition. The total nitrogen removal efficiency reached above 80%. Moreover, catalytic membrane can create a high effective gas/liquid/solid interface, and show a good selectivity to nitrogen in comparative with the powder catalyst, the selectivity to nitrogen was improved from 73 4% to 89 4%.

Pollution characteristics of the recent sediments in the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal,China

Spatial distribution of heavy metals, arsenic and organic matter in recent sediments in the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal and their relationships were analyzed. The results showed that the concentrations of heavy metals and organic matters varied widely along the canal, and the average geological accumulation factors decreased in the following orders: organic carbon(2.6), zinc(2.1), cadmium(2.0), copper(1.5), lead(1.1), nitrogen(0.9), mercury (0.8), phosphorus(0.4), arsenic(0.2) and chromium(0). Content of heavy metals and organic carbon in the top 10 cm layer were lower than that of lower layers, except for mercury and organic carbon in the S9 section. Contents of organic carbon in the top 50 cm layer of the mud sediments are significantly higher than those underneath. In the bottom mud layer, there is a concentration peak of the pollutants. In the mud sediments of the canal, cadmium mainly occurred in the Fe and Mn oxide fraction, copper in the organic fraction, lead in the Fe and Mn oxide fraction, and zinc in the carbonate and the Fe and Mn oxide fraction.

Effect of organic fractions on sorption properties of organic pollutants in sediments

Humic substrates are a major fraction of sediment organic matters, and the sorption of hydrophobic organic chemicals by humic substrates influences their behavior and fate in sediment. In this paper, organic matters were divided into non-humic substrates and humic substrates. Non-humic substrates include acid leaching fraction, acid extracted fraction, and lipid; humic substrates were fractionated into Ca-binding-FA(fulvic acid), Ca-binding-HA (humic acid), oxide-FA, oxide-HA, and humin. To study the effect of organic fractions on sorption properties, sorption kinetic and equilibrium sorption experiments of phenanthrene and pentachlorophenol(PCP) in five sediments were carried out. The results showed that the contents of acid leaching fraction and oxide-binding-HA were the main fractions to affect the sorption rate constant, and for the sorption capacity of phenanthrene, humin was the major fraction, followed by oxide-binding-HA, oxide-binding-FA, and so on. While for PCP, the factors of influence on sorption capacity were mainly CEC, Ca-binding-FA, and Ca-binding-HA.