生物质炭对土壤中重金属形态和迁移性的影响及作用机制

生物质炭是生物质原料在缺氧条件下经高温裂解而成的一种固体产物,它们在土壤重金属污染修复中的应用是当前环境研究的热点之一。对目前生物质炭研究的进展进行了综述,阐明了生物质炭施入土壤可通过物理吸附、离子吸附、离子交换、沉淀络合等交互作用机制,显著降低土壤重金属的有效态,减少它们在环境介质中的迁移性,从而降低土壤重金属的生物毒性。但是生物质炭的研究仍然存在许多问题,特别是如何增强它们在土壤环境中对重金属离子钝化的稳定性、长效性以及生物质炭—土壤—作物—人体健康风险一体化研究等方面,仍需要持续深入研究。

Extraction of Cd and Pb from contaminated-paddy soil with EDTA, DTPA, citric acid and FeCl3 and effects on soil fertility

Potentially toxic metals,Cd and Pb in paddy soil,have important meanings for safety of rice.A comparison extraction of Cd and Pb with EDTA,DTPA,citric acid,and FeCl3 and effects on soil fertility was studied.Results indicate that about 59%and 63%of soil Cd and Pb were simultaneously removed by 10 g/L EDTA at pH 5 with a soil/extractant ratio of 1:10(W/V)for 30 min while 52%and 51%by 5 g/L DTPA.Acid extractable and reducible Cd by EDTA and DTPA contributed 58%and 53%of the removals and acid extractable and reducible Pb were about 49%and 41%,respectively.Slight changes of soil fertility,including pH,cation exchange capacity,organic matter,and soil extractable phosphorus,were observed.Extractions of citric acid and ferric chloride,however,were only efficient for Cd and the soil pH was decreased significantly.This study suggests that EDTA and DTPA can be considered as suitable agents to clean up the paddy soils contaminated with potentially toxic metals.

A Preliminary Survey of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Associated with Marsh Plants in Lhalu Wetland,Suburban Lhasa,South Tibet

A survey was made of the spore community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and root colonization by AMF in 16 plant species in Lhalu wetland on the outskirts of Lhasa city in Tibet. It was found that 13 of the 16 plant species investigated (81. 5% ) formed arbuscular mycorrhizal structures and dark septate endophytic fungi colonized the roots of most species. Total AMF colonization ranged from 0 to 82. 6% in dicots and 0 to 54. 5% in monocots. Both total AMF and arbuscular colonization were greater in dicots than that in monocots. A total of 48 taxa representing 7 genera of AMF were isolated and identified. Of these,9 species belonged to Acaulospora,2 to Appendicispora,34 to Glomus,and 1 each to Pacispora,Paraglomus and Scutellospora. Spores of Glomus aggregatum,G. deserticola and G. etunicatum were most common and abundant in the spore survey. Spores of 8 to 26 AMF species were isolated from the rhizosphere soil of individual plant species. Spore densities in soil associated with the 16 plant species ranged from 20 to 475 per 20 g soil,with an average of (92. 3 ± 14. 6). Species richness of AMF ranged from 6 to 12. 7. There were no significant differences between dicots and monocots in AMF spore density or species richness. Future work directed towards under- standing the response of the wetland plants to AMF may provide some insight into the role that these fungal symbionts may play in influencing plant diversity in this important urban wetland.

Isolation and Identification of a Di-(2-Ethylhexyl)Phthalate-Degrading Bacterium and Its Role in the Bioremediation of a Contaminated Soil

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate(DEHP) is a high-molecular-weight phthalate ester(PAE) that has been widely used in the manufacture of polyvinylchloride and contributes to environmental pollution.The objectives of the present study were to isolate a DEHP degrader that can utilize DEHP as a carbon source and to investigate its capacity to biodegrade DEHP in both liquid culture and soil.A bacterial strain WJ4 was isolated from an intensively managed vegetable soil,which was contaminated with PAEs.The strain WJ4 was affiliated to the genus Rhodococcus and was able to remove DEHP from soil effectively.A period of only 7 d was required to degrade about 96.4%of DEHP(200 mg L^(-1)) in the liquid culture,and more than 55%of DEHP(1.0 g kg^(-1)) in the artificially contaminated soil was removed within 21 d.Furthermore,Rhodococcus sp.strain WJ4 had a strong ability to degrade DEHP without additional nutrients in liquid minimal medium culture and DEHP-contaminated soil and to degrade the homologue of DEHP in both liquid culture and soil.Strain WJ4 represents a novel tool for removing PAEs from contaminated soils and it may have great potential for application in the remediation of environmental pollution by PAEs.

Effects of long-term fertilizer applications on peanut yield and quality and plant and soil heavy metal accumulation

The status of essential and potentially toxic trace elements in soils and crops can be affected by long-term fertilization practices. This study aimed to investigate changes in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) yield and kernel quality, and changes in copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd)concentrations in soil and peanut kernels after 16 years of continuous cropping with different fertilization treatments. Five fertilization treatments were applied at a red soil site in Southeast China:chemical fertilizer (F) containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, F+trace elements (FT), pig manure (M), M+effective microorganisms (MB), and MB+trace elements (MBT). Properties of soil and pig manure, heavy metal contents in soil and peanut kernels, and the compositions of amino and fatty acids in kernels were determined. Application of pig manure significantly increased peanut biomass, kernel yield, and crude protein and total amino acid contents in kernels, but led to higher amounts of Cu, Zn, and Cd in soil and higher amounts of Zn and Cd in peanut kernels compared with that of chemical fertilizer. There should be greater concern about potential kernel Cd and Zn contaminations resulting from long-term application of pig manure contaminated with potentially toxic metals as an organic fertilizer.

Methyl-β-cyclodextrin enhanced biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and associated microbial activity in contaminated soil

The contamination of soils by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） is a widespread environmental problem and the remediation of PAHs from these areas has been a major concern. The effectiveness of many in situ bioremediation systems may be constrained by low contaminant bioavailability due to limited aqueous solubility or a large magnitude of sorption. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of methyl-β-cyclodextrin （MCD） on bioaugmentation by Paracoccus sp. strain HPD-2 of an aged PAH-contaminated soil. When 10% （W/W） MCD amendment was combined with bioaugmentation by the PAH-degrading bacterium Paracoccus sp. strain HPD-2, the percentage degradation of total PAHs was significantly enhanced up to 34.8%. Higher counts of culturable PAH- degrading bacteria and higher soil dehydrogenase and soil polyphenol oxidase activities were observed in 10% （W/W） MCD-assisted bioaugmentation soil. This MCD-assisted bioaugmentation strategy showed significant increases （p 〈 0.05） in the average well color development （AWCD） obtained by the BIOLOG Eco plate assay, Shannon-Weaver index （H） and Simpson index （λ） compared with the controls, implying that this strategy at least partially restored the microbiological functioning of the PAH-contaminated soil. The results suggest that MCD-aided bioaugmentation by Paracoccus sp. strain HPD-2 may be a promising practical bioremediation strategy for aged PAH-contaminated soils.

Effect of Silicon on Growth, Physiology, and Cadmium Translocation of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) in Cadmium-Contaminated Soil

Silicon （Si） offers beneficial effect on plants under cadmium （Cd） stress such as promoting plant growth and increasing resistance to heavy metal toxicity. In this study, a pot experiment was performed to study the role of Si in alleviating Cd toxicity in tobacco （Nicotiana tabacurn L.） plants on a yellow soil taken from Guiyang, China. Nine treatments consisting of three concentrations of Cd （0, 1, and 5 mg kg^-1） together with three Si levels （0, 1, and 4 g kg^-1） were established. Plant growth parameters, Cd concentration, and the malondialdehyde （MDA）, chlorophyll, and carotenoid contents were determined 100 d after transplanting of tobacco seedlings. Application of exogenous Si enhanced the growth of tobacco plants under Cd stress. When 5 mg kg^-1 Cd was added, Si addition at 1 and 4 g kg^-1 increased root, stem, and leaf biomass by 26.1%-43.3%, 33.7% 43.8%, and 50.8% 69.9%, respectively, compared to $i addition at 0 g kg^-1. With Si application, the transfer factor of Cd in tobacco from root to shoot under both 1 and 5 mg kg^-1 Cd treatments decreased by 21%. The MDA contents in the Si-treated tobacco plants declined by 5.5% 17.1% compared to those in the non-Si-treated plants, indicating a higher Cd tolerance. Silicon application also increased the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents by 33.9% 41% and 25.8%-47.3% compared to the Cd only treatments. Therefore, it could be concluded that Si application can alleviate Cd toxicity to tobacco by decreasing Cd partitioning in the shoots and MDA levels and by increasing chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, thereby contributing to lowering the potential health risks of Cd contamination.

Adsorption and desorption characteristics of diphenylarsenicals in two contrasting soils

Diphenylarsinic acid （DPAA） is formed during the leakage of aromatic arsenic chemical weapons in soils, is persistent in nature, and results in arsenic contamination in the field. The adsorption and desorption characteristics of DPAA were investigated in two typical Chinese soils, an Acrisol （a variable-charge soil） and a Phaeozem （a constant-charge soil）. Their thermodynamics and some of the factors influencing them （i.e., initial pH value, ionic strength and phosphate） were also evaluated using the batch method in order to understand the environmental fate of DPAA in soils. The results indicate that Acrisol had a stronger adsorption capacity for DPAA than Phaeozem. Soil DPAA adsorption was a spontaneous and endothermic process and the amount of DPAA adsorbed was affected significantly by variation in soil pH and phosphate. In contrast, soil organic matter and ionic strength had no significant effect on adsorption. This suggests that DPAA adsorption may be due to specific adsorption on soil mineral surfaces. Therefore, monitoring the fate of DPAA in soils is recommended in areas contaminated by leakage from chemical weapons.

Concentrations of Heavy Metals in Suburban Horticultural Soils and Their Uptake by Artemisia selengensis

A total of 222 surface soil samples and 40 plant samples were collected to investigate the spatial distribution and possible sources of soil heavy metals and to know the uptake and translocation of heavy metals from roots to different plant parts in a representative vegetable production area in the Baguazhou Island, a suburb of Nanjing City, East China. The arithmetic mean values of total Cd, Cr,Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the soils were 0.314, 133, 41.0, 58.0, 31.8, and 114 mg kg-1, respectively. All of these values were above the topsoil background values in the Nanjing area. Multivariate and geostatistical analyses showed that soil Cd contamination was derived mainly from agricultural practices. In contrast, Cu and Zn were derived mainly from soil parent materials and Pb from atmospheric deposition from highway gasoline stations. Artemisia selengensis, a locally important specialty vegetable, accumulated heavy metals primarily in the edible leaves. The general distribution of heavy metal concentrations in this plant species showed that the highest occurred in the leaves, intermediate in the stems and lowest in the roots. Cd had the highest concentration factor(root-to-soil ratio) and may pose increased health risks in the future to the local population through the consumption of contaminated vegetables.

Phytotoxicity in seven higher plant species exposed to di-n-butyl phthalate or bis （2-ethylhexyl） phthalate

We investigated phytotoxicity in seven plant species exposed to a range of concentrations （0- 500 mg· kg^-1 soil） of di-n-butyl phthalate （DnBP） or his （2- ethylhexyl） phthalate （DEHP）, two representative phthalate esters （PAEs） nominated by USEPA as priority pollutants and known environmental estrogens. We studied seed germination, root elongation, seedling growth, biomass （fresh weight, FW） and malondialdehyde （MDA） content of shoots and roots of wheat （Triticum aestivum L.）, alfalfa （Medicago sativa L.）, perennial ryegrass （Lolium perenne）, radish （Raphanus sativus L.）, cucumber （Cucumis sativus L.）, oat （Avena sativa） and onion （Allium cepa L.）, together with monitoring of plant pigment content （chlorophyll a, b and earotinoids） in alfalfa, radish and onion shoots. Root elongation, seedling growth and biomass of the test species were generally inhibited by DnBP but not by DEHP, indicating a lower level of phytotoxicity of DEHP than of DnBP. MDA contents of four species were promoted by PAE exposure, but not in alfalfa, ryegrass or onion shoots, indicating lower sensitivity of these three species to PAE pollutants. Plant pigment contents were clearly affected under the stress of both pollutants, implying the potential damage to the photosynthetic system of test plants, mainly by decreasing the content of chlorophyll a and b. Results of DnBP and DEHP phytotoxicity to the primary growth of test plants has provided information for the assessment of their environmental risk in the soil and also forms a basis for the further analysis of their toxic effects over the whole growth period of different plant species.

Dissipation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and microbial activity in a field soil planted with perennial ryegrass

Dissipation and plant uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） in contaminated agricul- tural soil planted with perennial ryegrass were investigated in a field experiment. After two seasons of grass cultivation the mean concentration of 12 PAHs in soil decreased by 23.4% compared with the initial soil. The 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6- ring PAHs were dissipated by 30.9%, 25.5%, 21.2%, and 16.3% from the soil, respectively. Ryegrass shoots accumulated about 280 ug.kg1, shoot dry matter biomass reached 2.48 x 104kg-ha1, and plant uptake accounted for about 0.99% of the decrease in PAHs in the soil. Significantly higher soil enzyme activities and microbial community functional diversity were observed in planted soil than that in the unplanted control. The results suggest that planting ryegrass may promote the dissipation of PAHs in long-term contaminated agricultural soil, and plant-promoted microbial degradation may be a main mechanism of phytoremediation.

Refinement of Methodology for Cadmium Determination in Soil Micro-Arthropod Tissues

Highly precise and reliable determination of heavy metals in soil micro-arthropod tissues remains a challenge because of the small size of the animals and their typical low abundance in metal-contaminated agricultural soils. The present study sought to develop a method for cadmium （Cd） determination in soil micro-arthropods by optimizing the sample digestion procedure, reducing sample weight, modifying sample pre-treatment and validating the methodology with field samples. The optimized digestion conditions comprised a sample mass of 50-150 μg, digestion reagent of nitric acid：hydrogen peroxide （3：1）, digestion temperature of 105 ℃, digestion period of 3 h and digestion volume of 30 μL. Defecation of the standard Collembola Folsomia candida （92 h） and the indigenous Collembola Onychiurus yodai （42 h） and ultrasonic cleaning of F. candida increased the accuracy of Cd determination. The recovery of Cd using the refined procedure was 98.9% and the limits of detection and quantification were 0.002 and 0.008 μg L-1, respectively. The within-batch precision values were 〈 3%. The Cd concentrations in the tissues of the Collembola Isotorna sp. collected from a range of metal-contaminated fields determined by the improved method were consistent with the Cd concentrations in the field soils. The results indicate that the optimized method can be used for more accurate or reliable determination of Cd concentrations in soil micro-arthropod tissues.

Effects of water management on arsenic and cadmium speciation and accumulation in an upland rice cultivar

Pot and field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of water regimes on the speciation and accumulation of arsenic（As） and cadmium（Cd） in Brazilian upland rice growing in soils polluted with both As and Cd. In the pot experiment constant and intermittent flooding treatments gave 3–16 times higher As concentrations in soil solution than did aerobic conditions but Cd showed the opposite trend. Compared to arsenate, there were more marked changes in the arsenite concentrations in the soil solution as water management shifted, and therefore arsenite concentrations dominated the As speciation and bioavailability in the soil. In the field experiment As concentrations in the rice grains increased from 0.14 to 0.21 mg/kg while Cd concentrations decreased from 0.21 to 0.02 mg/kg with increasing irrigation ranging from aerobic to constantly flooding conditions. Among the various water regimes the conventional irrigation treatment produced the highest rice grain yield of 6.29 tons/ha. The As speciation analysis reveals that the accumulation of dimethylarsinic acid（from 11.3% to 61.7%） made a greater contribution to the increase in total As in brown rice in the intermittent and constant flooding treatments compared to the intermittent-aerobic treatment. Thus, water management exerted opposite effects on Cd and As speciation and bioavailability in the soil and consequently on their accumulation in the upland rice. Special care is required when irrigation regime methods are employed to mitigate the accumulation of metal（loid）s in the grain of rice grown in soils polluted with both As and Cd.

Optimization of Ex-Situ Washing Removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from a Contaminated Soil Using Nano-Sulfonated Graphene

Ex-situ soil washing technology offers advantages such as speed and efficiency of remediation and range of application and has been developed to conform with legal requirements and best management practices in USA and some European countries. In this study, nano-sulfonated graphene （SGE） was used as a washing agent to evaluate different processing （washing） parameters for the ectopic leaching removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） from a coking plant soil. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） were used to analyze the characteristics of the SGE tested. The results showed that SGE had a strong adsorption capacity for PAHs through the role of π-π, H-π, and anion-π interactions. The washing parameters, an SGE concentration of 2000 mg L-1, a liquid/soil （L/S） ratio of 10：1, and 4 cycles of successive washing, were set to arrive to the optimum condition for achieving more than 80% of PAH removal. Under the optimum condition, the PAH removal rate decreased with increasing ring numbers. After one washing cycle at SGE concentration of 2000 mg L-1 and L/S ratio of 10：1, the PAH removal rate of the SCE tested was much higher than that of Tween 80 （TW80） or methyl-β-cyclodextrin （MCD） （P 〈 0.01）. Therefore, SGE is a promising material for the nanoremediation of PAH-contaminated soils.

Influence of kaolinite and montmorillonite on benzo[a]pyrene biodegradation by Paracoccus aminovorans HPD-2 and the underlying interface interaction mechanisms

Clay minerals play an important role in biogeochemical cycling.Here,kaolinite and montmorillonite,the two most abundant and widespread clay minerals with typical layered structures,were selected to investigate and compare their effects on the biodegradation of benzo[a]pyrene(BaP)by Paracoccus aminovorans HPD-2 and to investigate the underlying interface mechanisms.Overall,the BaP degradation efficiency was significantly higher 7 d after montmorillonite addition,reaching 68.9%(P<0.05),when compared with that of the control without addition of clay minerals(CK,61.4%);however,the addition of kaolinite significantly reduced the BaP degradation efficiency to 45.8%.This suggests that kaolinite inhibits BaP degradation by inhibiting the growth of strain HPD-2,or its strong hydrophobicity and readily agglomerates in the degradation system,resulting in a decrease in the bio-accessibility of BaP to strain HPD-2.Montmorillonite may buffer some unfavorable factors,and cells may be fixed on the surface of montmorillonite colloidal particles across energy barriers.Furthermore,the adsorption of BaP on montmorillonite may be weakened after swelling,reducing the effect on the bio-accessibility of BaP,thus promoting the biodegradation of BaP by strain HPD-2.The experimental results indicate that differential bacterial growth,BaP bio-accessibility,interface interaction,and the buffering effect may explain the differential effects of the different minerals on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation.These observations improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which clay minerals,organic pollutants,and degrading bacteria interact during the biodegradation process and provide a theoretical basis for increasing the biodegradation of soil pollutants by native microorganisms under field conditions.

Collembolans accelerate the dispersal of antibiotic resistance genes in the soil ecosystem

Soils have become an important sink for antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs).To better understand the impacts of ARGs on the soil ecosystem,the transport of ARGs is a basic question.So far,however,the role of soil animals in the dispersal of ARGs is not understood.Here,two treatments(without collembolans and with collembolans)were established,each treatment included unamended and manure-amended soil,and soil samples were collected at 14,28 and 56 days after incubation.The effects of the collembolan Folsomia candida on dispersal of ARGs in the soil ecosystem were explored using high-throughput qPCR combined with Illumina sequencing.As the culture time increased,more shared ARGs and OTUs were detected between the unamended and manured soil,especially in the treatment with collembolans.Vancomycin,aminoglycoside and MLSB genes may have been more readily transported by the collembolan.On the 28th day after incubation,a high abundance of mobile genetic elements(MGEs)was found in the treatment with collembolans.These results clearly reveal that collembolans can accelerate the dispersal of ARGs in the soil ecosystem.Procrustes analysis and the Mantel test both indicate that soil bacterial communities were significantly correlated with ARG profiles.Furthermore,partial redundancy analysis indicates that soil bacterial communities can explain 41.28% of the variation in ARGs.These results suggest that the change of soil microbial community have an important contribution to the dispersal of ARGs by the collembolan.

Microbial remediation of a pentachloronitrobenzene-contaminated soil under Panax notoginseng: A field experiment

Pentachloronitrobenzene(PCNB)is an organochlorine fungicide that is mainly used in the prevention and control of diseases in crop seedlings.Microbial removal is used as a promising method for in-situ removal of many organic pesticides and pesticide residues.A short-term field experiment(1 year)was conducted to explore the potential role of a PCNB-degrading bacterial isolate,Cupriavidus sp.YNS-85,in the remediation of a PCNB-contaminated soil on which Panax notoginseng was grown.The following three treatments were used:i)control soil amended with wheat bran but without YNS-85,ii)soil with 0.15 kg m-2of solid bacterial inoculum(A),and iii)soil with 0.30 kg m-2of solid bacterial inoculum(B).The removal of soil PCNB during the microbial remediation was monitored using gas chromatography.Soil catalase and fluorescein diacetate(FDA)esterase activities were determined using spectrophotometry.In addition,cultivable bacteria,fungi,and actinomycetes were counted by plating serial dilutions,and the microbial biodiversity of the soil was analyzed using BIOLOG.After 1 year of in-situ remediation,the soil PCNB concentrations decreased significantly by 50.3%and 74.2%in treatments A and B,respectively,when compared with the uninoculated control.The soil catalase activity decreased in the presence of the bacterial isolate,the FDA esterase activity decreased in treatment A,but increased in treatment B.No significant changes in plant biomass,diversity of the soil microbial community,or physicochemical properties of the soil were observed between the control and inoculated groups(P<0.05).The results indicate that Cupriavidus sp.YNS-85 is a potential candidate for the remediation of PCNB-contaminated soils under P.notoginseng.

Proteomic response of wheat embryos to fosthiazate stress in a protected vegetable soil

A proteomic analysis of wheat defense response induced by the widely used organophosphorus nematicide fosthiazate is reported. Seed germination and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis （2-DE） experiments were performed using a Chinese wheat cultivar, Zhenmai No. 5. Root and shoot elongation decreased but thiobarbituric acid reactive substances （TBARS） content in embryos increased with increasing pesticide concentration. More than 1000 protein spots were reprodueibly detected in each silver-stained gel. Thirty-seven protein spots with at least 2-fold changes were identified using MALDI-TOF MS/MS analysis. Of these, 24 spots were up-regulated and 13 were down-regulated. Proteins identified included some well-known classical stress responsive proteins under abiotic or biotic stresses as well as some unusual responsive proteins. Ten responsive proteins were reported for the first time at the proteomic level, including fatty acyl CoA reductase, dihydrodipicolinate synthase, DEAD-box ATPase-RNA-helicase, fimbriata-like protein, waxy B 1, rust resistance kinase Lrl0, putative In2.1 protein, retinoblastoma-related protein 1, pollen allergen-like protein and S-adenosyl-L- methionine：phosphoethanolamine N-methyltransferase. The proteins identified were involved in several processes such as metabolism, defense/detoxification, cell structure/ceU growth, signal transduction]transcription, photosynthesis and energy. Seven candidate proteins were further analyzed at the mRNA level by RT-PCR to compare transcript and protein accumulation patterns, revealing that not all the genes were correlated well with the protein level. Identification of these responsive proteins may provide new insight into the molecular basis of the fosthiazate-stress response in the early developmental stages of plants and may be useful in stress monitoring or stress-tolerant crop breeding for environmentally friendly agricultural production.

Accumulation and Speciation of Arsenic in Pteris vittata Gametophytes and Sporophytes: Effects of Calcium and Phosphorus

Dear Editor, Environmental arsenic (As) contamination of both soil and water systems is a worldwide problem, and As can enter the human food chain through contaminated agricultural products and drinking water and contribute to the development of lung.

Reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls is coupled to nitrogen fixation by a legume-rhizobium symbiosis

Chlorinated persistent organic pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls （PCBs）, represent a particularly serious environmental problem and human health risk worldwide. Leguminous plants and their symbiotic bacteria （rhizobia） are important components of the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen in both agricultural and natural ecosystems. However, there have been relatively few detailed studies of the remediation of PCB-contaminated soils by legume-rhizobia symbionts. Here we report for the first time evidence of the reductive dechlorination of 2,4,4＇-trichlorobiphenyl （PCB 28） by an alfalfa-rhizobium nitrogen fixing symbiont. Alfalfa （Medicago sativa L.） inoculated with wild-type Sinorhizobiurn meliloti had significantly larger biomass and PCB 28 accumulation than alfalfa inoculated with the nitrogenase negative mutant rhizobium SmY. Dechlorination products of PCB 28, 2,4＇-dichlorobiphenyl （PCB 8）, and the emission of chloride ion （C1-） were also found to decrease significantly in the ineffective nodules infected by the mutant strain SmY. We therefore hypothesize that N2-fixation by the legume-rhizobium symbiont is coupled with the reductive dechlorination of PCBs within the nodules. The combination of these two processes is of great importance to the biogeochemical cycling and bioremediation of organochlorine pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems.