A case study of in situ oil contamination in a mangrove swamp (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)

Mangroves are sensitive ecosystems of prominent ecological value that lamentably have lost much of their areas across the world. The vulnerability of mangroves grown in proximity to cities requires the development of new technologies for the remediation of acute oil spills and chronic contaminations. Studies on oil remediation are usually performed with in vitro microcosms whereas in situ experiments are rare. The aim of this work was to evaluate oil degradation on mangrove ecosystems using in situ microcosms seeded with an indigenous hydrocarbonoclastic bacterial consortium (HBC). Although the potential degradation of oil through HBC has been reported, their seeding directly on the sediment did not stimulate oil degradation during the experimental period. This is probably due to the availability of carbon sources that are easier to degrade than petroleum hydrocarbons. Our results emphasize the fragility of mangrove ecosystems during accidental oil spills and also the need for more efficient technologies for their remediation.     

Development of Bench‐Scale Bio‐Packed Column for Wastewater Treatment from Optical Emission Spectrometry

An eco‐friendly and inexpensive technique for wastewater treatment originated from inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES) is presented within this paper. The proposed process comprised of loading waste crab shells in packed column for adsorption of heavy metal ions, followed by desorption using 0.01 M HCl. An exhaustive physical and chemical characterization of ICP‐OES wastewater revealed the complex nature of effluent, including the presence of 15 different metals and metalloid under strong acidic condition (pH 1.3). Based on the preliminary batch experiments, it was identified that solution pH played a major role in metal sequestration by crab shell with pH 3.5 identified as optimum pH. Rapid metal biosorption kinetics along with complete desorption and subsequent reuse for three cycles was possible with crab shell‐based treatment process. Continuous flow‐through column experiments confirmed the high performance of crab shell towards multiple metal ions with the column able to operate for 22 h at a flow rate of 10 mL/min before outlet concentration of arsenic reached 0.25 times of its inlet concentration. Other metal ions such as Cu, Cd, Co, Cr, Pb, Ni, Zn, Mn, Al, and Fe were only in trace levels in the treated water until 22 h. The performance of the treatment process was compared with trade effluent discharge standards, and the process flow diagram along with cost analysis was suggested.     

Effect of sea cucumber (Australostichopus mollis) grazing on coastal sediments impacted by mussel farm deposition

Deposit-feeding holothurians are important processors of surface sediments in many coastal marine systems. The present study examined the effect of grazing by the sea cucumber Australostichopus mollis on sediment impacted by green-lipped mussel biodeposits (faeces and pseudofaeces) from coastal aquaculture activities. Grazing effects were investigated in a series of tank-based feeding experiments conducted over 1, 2, 4 and 8 week periods. Sediment quality indicators routinely applied to determine the impacts of coastal aquaculture were used to evaluate sediment health from grazed and ungrazed sediments. Sea cucumber grazing resulted in reductions in total organic carbon, chlorophyll a and phaeopigment, as well as chlorophyll a/phaeopigment ratio of impacted sediments. These results demonstrate that sea cucumber grazing significantly reduces the accumulation of both organic carbon and phytopigments associated with biodeposition from mussel farms. Sea cucumber grazing offers a means of constraining or reversing the pollutive impacts of coastal bivalve aquaculture.     

Aeromonas veronii, a tributyltin (TBT)-degrading bacterium isolated from an estuarine environment, Ria de Aveiro in Portugal

Organotin compounds are used in a variety of industrial processes therefore their subsequent discharge into the environment is widespread. Bacteria play an important role in biogeochemical transformations acting as natural decontamination agents. Therefore, screening for tributyltin (TBT)-resistant and -degrading bacteria is relevant for the selection of isolates with decontamination ability of these polluted areas. With this purpose, 50 strains were isolated from sediment and water from Ria de Aveiro and their tolerance to TBT, up to 3mM, was evaluated. Generally, occurrence of highly TBT-resistant bacteria was observed, and Gram negative bacteria exhibited more tolerance to TBT than Gram positive bacteria. A memory response was observed when bacteria were progressively exposed to increasingly higher TBT concentrations. One isolate, Aeromonas veronii Av27, highly resistant to TBT (3mM) uses this compound as carbon source and degrades it to less toxic compounds.     

Sequential extractions on mine tailings samples after and before bioassays: implications on the speciation of metals during microbial re-colonization

Mine tailings may be remediated using metal tolerant microorganisms as they may solve the limiting conditions for healthy development of plants (i.e., low organic mater content and poor physical conditions). The aim of this study was to investigate the consequences of microbial colonization on the chemical speciation of trace metals. Surface samples from the Valenciana mine tailings (Guanajuato, Mexico) were used for long-term bioassays (BA), which consisted in the promotion of microorganisms, development on tailings material under stable laboratory conditions (humidity, temperature, and light exposure). A five-step sequential extraction method (exchangeable, carbonate/specifically adsorbed, Fe–Mn oxides, organic matter (OM)/sulfide, and residual fractions) was performed before and after BA. Extraction solutions and leachates were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. OM content, cationic exchange capacity, and pH values were also assessed before and after BA. The results indicate that trace elements are generally present in nonresidual fractions, mainly in the Fe–Mn oxides fraction. The concentration of total Zn, As, Se, Pb, and exchangeable Cu and Pb is above the recommendable limits for soils. Despite the high bioavailability of the former elements, biofilms successfully colonized the tailing samples during the BA. Cyanobacteria and green algae, heterotrophic fungi, aerobic bacteria, and anaerobic bacteria composed the developed biofilms. Chemical controls of trace elements could be attributed to absorption onto inorganic complexes (carbonates, metal oxides), while biofilm occurrence seems to enhance complexation and immobilization of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb. The biofilm developed does not increase the bioavailable forms and the leaching of the trace elements, but significantly improves the OM contents (natural fertilization). The results suggest that biofilms are useful during the first steps of the mine tailings remediation.     

A field trial for in-situ bioremediation of 1,2-DCA

Historic spillages of chlorinated hydrocarbons at a vinyl chloride plant in the Rotterdam Botlek area in The Netherlands have lead to contamination of the underlying aquifer. The principal contaminant is 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA). The contamination is temporarily contained by a pump-and-treat system. A field trial was carried out to investigate the feasibility of treating the dissolved phase of 1,2-DCA via reductive dechlorination by injection of an aqueous solution of methanol, ammonium chloride and sodium chloride into the confined aquifer using an array of eight boreholes. Biodegradation of 1,2-DCA was localised. This was attributed to limited mixing of the carbon substrate within the test zone. In addition, clogging of recharge wells complicated groundwater circulation.     

Sulfate reducing bioreactor dependence on organic substrates for remediation of coal-generated acid mine drainage: Field experiments

Field experiments were conducted over a 460-day period to assess the efficiency of different mixtures of organic substrates to remediate coalmine-generated acid mine drainage (AMD). Five pilot-scale, flow-through bioreactors containing mixtures of herbaceous and woody organic substrates along with one control reactor containing only limestone were constructed at the Tab-Simco site and exposed to AMD in situ. Tab-Simco is an abandoned coal mine near Carbondale, Illinois that produces AMD with pH ∼2.5 and notably high average concentrations of SO₄ (5050 mg/L), Fe (950 mg/L), Al (200 mg/L), and Mn (44 mg/L). Results showed that the sequestration of SO₄ and metals was achieved in all reactors; however, the presence and type of organic carbon matrix impacted the overall system dynamics and the AMD remediation efficiency. All organic substrate-based reactors established communities of sulfate reducing microorganisms that contributed to enhanced removal of SO₄, Fe, and trace metals (i.e., Cu, Cd, Zn, Ni) via microbially-mediated reduction followed by precipitation of insoluble sulfides. Additional mechanisms of contaminant removal were active in all reactors and included Al- and Fe-rich phase precipitation and contaminant surface sorption on available organic and inorganic substrates. The organic substrate-based reactors removed more SO₄, Fe, and Al than the limestone-only control reactor, which achieved an average removal of ∼19 mol% SO₄, ∼49 mol% Fe, 36 mol% Al, and 2 mol% Mn. In the organic substrate-based reactors, increasing herbaceous content correlated with increased removal efficiency of SO₄ (26–35 mol%), Fe (36–62 mol%), Al (78–83 mol%), Mn (2–6 mol%), Ni (64–81 mol%), Zn (88–95 mol%), Cu (72–85 mol%), and Cd (90–92 mol%), while the diversity of the intrinsic microbial community remained relatively unchanged. The extrapolation of these results to the full-scale Tab-Simco treatment system indicated that, over the course of a 460-day period, the predominantly herbaceous bioreactors could remove up to 92,500 kg SO₄, 30,000 kg Fe, 8,950 kg Al, and 167 kg Mn, which represents a 18.3 wt%, 36.8 wt%, 4.1 wt% and 82.3 wt% increase in SO₄, Fe, Al, and Mn, respectively, removal efficiency compared to the predominantly ligneous bioreactors.The results imply that anaerobic organic substrate bioreactors are promising technologies for remediation of coal-generated AMD and that increasing herbaceous content in the organic substrate matrix can enhance contaminant sequestration. However, in order to improve the remediation capacity, future designs must optimize not only the organic carbon substrate but also include a pretreatment phase in which the bulk of dissolved Fe/Al-species are removed from the influent AMD prior to entering the bioreactor because of 1) seasonal variations in temperature and redox gradients could induce dissolution of the previously formed redox sensitive compounds, and 2) microbially-mediated sulfate reduction activity may be inhibited by the excessive precipitation of Al- and Fe-rich phases.     

虾池环境生物修复作用菌的生产发酵与菌体收集工艺优化

为了实现所筛选的对虾养殖环境生物修复作用菌的产业化生产,本文选择三株具有高效降解有机污染物能力的菌株为代表,对作用菌的发酵生产和菌体收集工艺进行了优化。结果表明,作用菌的最适发酵培养基配方(g/L)为蛋白胨 25,酵母粉 5,磷酸铁 0.2,灭菌前培养基的 pH 可先调为 8.0,搅拌方式为搅拌1h 间隔 1h, 出罐时间以 20h 为宜。菌体收集以等电点沉降法效率最高、成本最低,其中菌株 Lt7222 的最适沉降 pH 为 3.67、Gy7018 为 4.02、Lt7511 为 3.40。菌体回收率可达 90 %,回收后菌体的存活能力几乎不受影响。