Heavy metal (Pb,Zn) uptake and chemical changes in rhizosphere soils of four wetland plants with different radial oxygen loss

Lead and Zn uptake and chemical changes in rhizosphere soils of four emergent-rooted wetland plants;Aneilema bracteatum,Cyperus alternifolius,Ludwigia hyssopifolia and Veronica serpyllifolia were investigated by two experiments:(1) rhizobag filled with "clean" or metal-contaminated soil for analysis of Pb and Zn in plants and rhizosphere soils;and (2) applied deoxygenated solution for analyzing their rates of radial oxygen loss (ROL).The results showed that the wetland plants with different ROL rates had significant effects on the mobility and chemical forms of Pb and Zn in rhizosphere under flooded conditions.These effects were varied with different metal elements and metal concentrations in the soils.Lead mobility in rhizosphere of the four plants both in the "clean" and contaminated soils was decreased,while Zn mobility was increased in the rhizosphere of the "clean" soil,but decreased in the contaminated soil.Among the four plants,V.serpyllifolia,with the highest ROL,formed the highest degree of Fe plaque on the root surface,immobilized more Zn in Fe plaque,and has the highest effects on the changes of Zn form (EXC-Zn) in rhizosphere under both "clean" and contaminated soil conditions.These results suggested that ROL of wetland plants could play an important role in Fe plaque formation and mobility and chemical changes of metals in rhizosphere soil under flood conditions.

Upcycling biomass waste into Fe single atom catalysts for pollutant control

Contaminants of heavy metals and antibiotics, which are frequently detected in water, soil and food chains with increasing prevalence in our current society, can cause potential harm to human health and disrupt human ecosystem irreversibly. Herein, we have successfully utilized biomass waste ferns contaminated by iron mines, to fabricate a first-of-its-kind high-performance class of Fe single-atom catalysts(FeSAC) by a facile pyrolysis. The optimal FeSAC-800 shows an excellent efficiency in the fastphotocatalytic degradation of six types of quinolone antibiotics(e.g., norfloxacin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, lomefloxacin, flumequine) in 1 h under the simulated natural light irradiation. Based on advanced characterization, a well-defined structure of FeN_(4), confined in the porous carbon is elaborated for the FeSAC-800. Mechanism of the photodegradation is via a Fenton-like oxidation process whereas the reactive oxygen species play a key role. These findings open a new avenue for efficient, sustainable utilization of biomass waste in pollutant control.

Effects of rhamnolipids on bacterial communities in a dioxin-contaminated soil and the gut of earthworms added to the soil

The biosurfactants rhamnolipids and the “soil ecosystem engineers” earthworms are often used to remediate contaminated soils. However, the effects of rhamnolipids on earthworm intestinal flora and microbial community in soil containing earthworms are not clearly understood. In our study, a 21-d microcosm experiment was carried out to reveal the effects of rhamnolipids on microbial abundance, composition, and metabolism, as well as contaminant degradation capacity. Both rhamnolipids and earthworms had positive effects on soil bacteria. Rhamnolipid-amended soil(RT) showed higher bacterial abundance and metabolic activity than earthworm-amended soil(ET), while the improvement in bacterial composition and contaminant degradation capacity by rhamnolipids was lower than that by earthworms. Notably, these effects were further amplified by the combined treatment of rhamnolipids and earthworms(RET). Specifically, the bacterial abundance(log-transferred) increased from 9.5 copies g-1in the control with no addition to 10.3, 10.6, and 11.1 copies g-1in ET, RT, and RET, respectively. Compared to ET, the relative abundance of the dominant phylum, Proteobacteria, increased from 41.66% to 51.67% in RET,and more pollutant-degrading bacteria were also enriched in RET. Therefore, the increases in bacterial abundance and contaminant-degrading bacteria led to the following ranking of soil dioxin removal rate: RET(77.28%) > ET(59.83%) > RT(24.65%) > control(4.71%). Moreover, the addition of rhamnolipids enhanced the abundance of bacterial functional genes involved in metabolism and environmental information processing. In addition, the composition and diversity of bacteria in the gut of earthworms were conspicuously affected by rhamnolipids, and the relative abundance of Microbacterium and Shewanella increased significantly(P < 0.05). Therefore, this study revealed that rhamnolipids remarkably influenced the abundance, composition, and metabolism of the microbial community in earthworm gut, further promoting the degradation rate of dioxin, providing theoretical support for optimizing the combined application of rhamnolipids and earthworms in soil bioremediation engineering and for the assessment of the ecological impact of rhamnolipids.

The acid dissolution characteristics of cadmium fixed by a novel Ca-Fe-Si composite material

Ca-Fe-Si material(CIS),a novel composite material rich in calcium,iron,manganese and silicon showed marvelous immobilization properties for heavy metal(loid)s in soils.To elucidate the acid stability of Cd fixed by CIS(CIS-Cd)and the underlying immobilizationmechanisms,the acid dissolution characteristics of CIS-Cdwere investigated by using acid titration method and X-ray diffraction(XRD)technique.The results showed that CIS-Cd had distinctive acid buffering capacity in different pH ranges.Based on the titration curve between dissolution rate of CIS-Cd and pH,CIS-Cd can be divided into non acid-stable Cd(9.4%),moderately acid-stable Cd(22.5%)and acid-stable Cd(68.1%).XRD analysis of CIS-Cd at different pH intervals and the correlation curves of dissolution rates of Cd and concomitant elements indicated that non acid-stable Cdwas mainly bound by carbonate,silicate and sulfate(CdCO_(3),Cd_(2)SiO_(4) and CdSO_(4))or co-precipitated with the corresponding calcium salts.Moderately acid-stable Cd was mainly bound by magnesium-aluminum-silicon containing minerals or electrically bound bymanganese iron minerals.Acid-stable Cd remaining undissolved at pH<2.42 included CdFe_(2)O_(4) and ferromanganese minerals strongly bound Cd.It was by multilateral fixation mechanisms that Ca-Fe-Si material possessed marvelous immobilization capability for Cd and strong resilience to environmental acidification as well.The findings implicated that proper combination of calcium-iron-silicon containing minerals could develop novel promising amendments with high efficiency in heavy metal(loid)s immobilization and strong resilience to environmental change.

Salinity elevates Cd bioaccumulation of sea rice cultured under co-exposure of cadmium and salt

Salt-tolerant rice (sea rice) is a key cultivar for increasing rice yields in salinity soil.The co-existence of salinity and cadmium (Cd) toxicities in the plant-soil system has become a great challenge for sustainable agriculture,especially in some estuaries and coastal areas.However,little information is available on the Cd accumulating features of sea rice under the co-stress of Cd and salinity.In this work,a hydroponic experiment with combined Cd(0,0.2,0.8 mg/L Cd^(2+)) and saline (0,0.6%,and 1.2%NaCl,W/V) levels and a pot experiment were set to evaluate the Cd toxic risks of sea rice.The hydroponic results showed that more Cd accumulated in sea rice than that in the reported high-Cd-accumulating rice,Chang Xianggu.It indicated an interesting synergistic effect between Cd and Na levels in sea rice,and the Cd level rose significantly with a concomitant increase in Na level in both shoot(r=0.54,p<0.01) and root (r=0.66,p<0.01) of sea rice.Lower MDA content was found in sea rice,implying that the salt addition probably triggered the defensive ability against oxidative stress.The pot experiment indicated that the coexistent Cd and salinity stress further inhibited the rice growth and rice yield,and the Cd concentration in rice grain was below 0.2 mg/kg.Collectively,this work provides a general understanding of the co-stress of Cd and salinity on the growth and Cd accumulation of sea rice.Additional work is required to precisely identify the phytoremediation potential of sea rice in Cd-polluted saline soil.

高生物量经济植物修复重金属污染土壤研究进展

植物修复是重金属污染土壤修复的重要方法之一。利用高生物量经济植物修复重金属污染土壤,能够兼顾生态和经济效益,具有很大的应用前景。本文系统分析了植物修复现状及存在的问题,提出利用高生物量经济植物修复重金属污染土壤的优势,总结了近年来利用高生物量经济植物吸收重金属的研究进展,探讨了改善高生物量经济植物修复重金属污染土壤效率的方法,以期为提高植物修复经济效益、促进植物修复广泛应用提供参考。

土壤-植物体系中锌镉稳定同位素分馏研究进展

稳定同位素分馏技术对于示踪土壤-植物体系中重金属的迁移转化过程具有重要作用.本文阐述了土壤-植物体系中锌镉迁移转化主要涉及的土壤根际过程、根系吸收过程和根部-地上部转运过程及其对应产生的同位素分馏特征.在土壤根际过程,土壤固相对锌、镉的吸附解吸反应影响重金属在土壤溶液中的移动性和同位素组成:锌轻同位素、镉重同位素倾向于被土壤固相释放进入土壤溶液;植物根系活化作用则导致土壤固相结合的锌重同位素的释放.根系吸收过程影响土壤-植物间的同位素分馏:质外体吸附锌重同位素,共质体吸收过程中低亲合力转运系统产生锌轻同位素富集,高亲合力转运系统基本不产生分馏或略产生锌轻同位素富集;植物根系存在含硫基团结合镉,并且仅有低亲合力转运系统对镉轻同位素进行吸收转运.在根部-地上部转运过程,根部区室化作用影响植物体内重金属的迁移和地上部同位素组成:锌重同位素、镉轻同位素倾向于在根部储存,导致锌轻同位素、镉重同位素向地上部迁移.在土壤-植物体系中,锌镉同位素分馏现象存在明显差异,反映出植物对锌镉元素不同的吸收、转运和储存机制.

应用零价铁基材料还原和催化氧化降解多溴联苯醚

多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)是一类新型的持久性有机污染物(POPs),由于不合理的使用和处置,在多种环境介质中均存在不同程度的污染。环境中PBDEs的降解技术已成为近年来的研究热点。大量的研究表明,零价铁(ZVI)还原脱溴降解PBDEs是一种高效快速且经济可行的治理技术。本文在总结国内外关于ZVI基材料降解PBDEs研究的基础上,分析了ZVI还原降解PBDEs的机理、动力学、影响因素及降解路径。从总体上看,ZVI作为高活性电子供体虽然能将高溴代PBDEs迅速降解为低溴代产物,但产生的低溴代PBDEs往往具有更大的环境风险,需进一步降解处理。近年来的研究表明,利用ZVI作为间接电子供体,通过催化活化H_2O_2或过硫酸盐产生高活性自由基,能够实现开环降解低溴代PBDEs。基于以上分析,通过构建一套先还原-后氧化的降解体系,有望实现高溴代PBDEs的彻底降解。最后,本文对ZVI降解PBDEs技术的后续研究进行了讨论和展望。

Biosorption mechanisms involved in immobilization of soil Pb by Bacillus subtilis DBM in a multi-metal-contaminated soil

Mechanisms of soil Pb immobilization by Bacillus subtilis DBM, a bacterial strain isolated from a heavy-metal-contaminated soil, were investigated. Adsorption and desorption experiments with living bacterial cells as well as dead cells revealed that both extracellular adsorption and intracellular accumulation were involved in the Pb2+removal from the liquid phase. Of the sequestered Pb(II), 8.5% was held by physical entrapment within the cell wall, 43.3% was held by ion-exchange, 9.7% was complexed with cell surface functional groups or precipitated on the cell surface, and 38.5% was intracellularly accumulated.Complexation of Pb2+with carboxyl, hydroxyl, carbonyl, amido, and phosphate groups was demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis. Precipitates of Pb5(PO4)3OH, Pb5(PO4)3Cl and Pb10(PO4)6(OH)2that formed on the cell surface during the biosorption process were identified by X-ray diffraction analysis. Transmission electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopic analysis confirmed the presence of the Pb(II)precipitates and that Pb(II) could be sequestered both extracellularly and intracellularly.Incubation with B. subtilis DBM significantly decreased the amount of the weak-acid-soluble Pb fraction in a heavy-metal-contaminated soil, resulting in a reduction in Pb bioavailability, but increased the amount of its organic-matter-bound fraction by 71%. The ability of B.subtilis DBM to reduce the bioavailability of soil Pb makes it potentially useful for bacteria-assisted phytostabilization of multi-heavy-metal-contaminated soil.

The effect of interaction between Bacillus subtilis DBM and soil minerals on Cu(Ⅱ) and Pb(Ⅱ) adsorption

The effects of interaction between Bacillus subtilis DBM and soil minerals on Cu(Ⅱ)and Pb(Ⅱ)adsorption were investigated.After combination with DBM,the Cu(Ⅱ)and Pb(Ⅱ)adsorption capacities of kaolinite and goethite improved compared with the application of the minerals independently.The modeling results of potentiometric titration data proved that the site concentrations of kaolinite and goethite increased by 80%and 30%,respectively after combination with DBM.However,the involvement of functional groups in the DBM/mineral combinations resulted in lower concentrations of observed sites than the theoretical values and led to the enhancement of desorption rates by NH_4NO_3 and EDTA-Na_2.The DBM-mineral complexes might also help to prevent heavy metals from entering DBM cells to improve the survivability of DBM in heavy metal-contaminated environments.During the combination process,the extracellular proteins of DBM provided more binding sites for the minerals to absorb Cu(Ⅱ)and Pb(Ⅱ).In particular,an especially stable complexation site was formed between goethite and phosphodiester bonds from EPS to enhance the Pb(Ⅱ)adsorption capacity.So,we can conclude that the DBM–mineral complexes could improve the Cu(Ⅱ)and Pb(Ⅱ)adsorption capacities of minerals and protect DBM in heavy metal-contaminated environments.

Responses of ramie(Boehmeria nivea L.)to increasing rare earth element(REE)concentrations in a hydroponic system

A number of studies have focused on the effects of rare earth elements(REEs) on crop plants,while little attention has been paid on how tolerant plant species respond to increasing mixed REE concentrations.In this study,ramie(Boehmeria nivea L.) was exposed to a series of REE concentrations prepared with equimolar mixtures of 16 REEs(i.e.0,1.6,8,16,80,160,400,800 μmol/L) in order to explore REE accumulation and fractionation characteristics in ramie and the responses of this plant to mixed REEs.Results show that ramie root and shoot biomasses are unaffected under lower REE concentrations(1.6-80 μmol/L),while the growth of ramie and the uptake of nutrients especially Ca and Mn are largely inhibited under higher REE concentrations(160-800 μmol/L).The P and Mo concentrations in the roots increase with the increasing REE concentrations in the solution,suggestive of an involvement of P and Mo in dealing with the high concentrations of REEs in this plant.The preferential uptake of Ce and heavy REEs(HREEs) and the preferential transport of HREEs within the plant lead to a positive Ce anomaly and a HREE enrichment in ramie leaves.Our study suggests that ramie could be a good candidate for the phyto re mediation of heavily REE-contaminated soils(e.g.,REE mine tailings in southern China).Our results also shed light on points of taking into account phytoremediation management strategies of REEcontaminated soils(e.g.,P and Mo fertilization).

Iodine enrichment in the groundwater in South China and its hydrogeochemical control

In North China,iodine-rich groundwater has been extensively studied,but few in South China.This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of iodine-rich groundwater in South China and identify potential contamination sources.The results revealed that the average concentration of iodine in groundwater was 890μg/L,with a maximumconcentration of 6350μg/L,exceeding the permitted levels recommended by the World Health Organization(5–300μg/L).Notably,the enrichment of iodide occurred in acidic conditions(pH=6.6)and a relatively low Eh environment(Eh=198.4 mV).Pearson correlation and cluster analyses suggested that the enrichment of iodide could be attributed to the intensified redox process involving Mn(II),iodine(I_(2)),or iodate(IO_(3)^(−))in the soil.The strong affinity between Mn(II)and I_(2)/IO_(3)^(−)facilitated their interaction,resulting in the formation and mobilization of I^(−)from the soil to the groundwater.Leaching experiments further confirmed that reducing substances(such as sodium sulfides,ascorbic acids,and fulvic acids)in the soil with low dissolved oxygen(DO)levels(<1.0 mg/L)enhanced the dissolution of iodine species.Conversely,higher DO content(>3.8 mg/L)promoted the oxidation of I^(−)into I_(2)or IO_(3)^(−),leading to its stabilization.This research provides new insights into the characteristics and mechanisms of I^(−)enrichment in groundwater in South China,and emphasizes the significance of the redox reactions involving Mn(II)and I_(2)/IO_(3)^(−),as well as the influence of soil properties in regulating the occurrence and transportation of iodine species within groundwater systems.