Macro- and trace-element concentrations in leaves and roots of Phragmites australis in a volcanic lake in Southern Italy

Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, N, Ni, Pb, S, V and Zn concentrations were determined during a whole seasonal cycle in leaves and in water and sediment roots of the aquatic macrophyte Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steudel from three sites in the Lake Averno (Naples, Italy), a volcanic lake contaminated by trace elements. At the beginning of the research, elemental analysis was also performed on lake sediments, that showed different trace-element concentrations depending on the sites.     

Growth and survival of Halimione portulacoides stem cuttings in heavy metal contaminated soils

The halophytic shrub Halimione portulacoides demonstrates a high tolerance to heavy metal contamination and a capacity for accumulating metals within its tissues. On the Iberian Peninsula, this species has colonized habitats with high levels of metal pollution. The aim of this study is to analyze the response of H. portulacoides stem cuttings to this pollution. Growth, photosynthesis and metal uptake were examined in H. portulacoides through an experiment in which stem cuttings were replanted in metal-contaminated soil. This condition decreased growth and lowered both photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance. Reduced photosynthetic performance was largely due to the reduced concentration of photosynthetic pigments. Despite these responses, there was some important evidence suggesting the phytoremediatory potential of Halimione stem cuttings. The results of our study indicate that this salt-marsh shrub may represent a biotool of value in the restoration of polluted areas.     

Antioxidant Enzymes Response in Vetiver Grass: A Greenhouse Study for Chelant‐Assisted Phytoremediation of Lead‐Contaminated Residential Soils

In a previous study we have demonstrated the suitability of using vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides L.) for the phytostabilization of lead‐based paint contaminated residential soils. Vetiver did not show any growth retardation or toxicity symptoms despite high soil Pb levels. Antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) reportedly allow plants to combat metal stress. Thus, we hypothesized that in vetiver, these antioxidant enzymes can play an important role in combating Pb induced stress, and that chelant‐bound Pb is less toxic to vetiver compared to free Pb in soil. The response of antioxidant enzymes was studied in vetiver grass grown in Pb paint‐contaminated residential soils collected from San Antonio, Texas and Baltimore, Maryland. Chelating agents such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) were used to mobilize Pb from bound fractions to the labile pool, facilitating Pb uptake by vetiver. Although the Pb concentration in vetiver from these treatments was significantly higher than those grown in the absence of a chelant, the antioxidant enzymes activities were lower compared to the latter. Antioxidant enzymes activity of vetiver plants grown in the presence of chelants is lower compared to those in without chelant treatment, while they tended to increase with dose in treatments with varying chelant concentrations. Data obtained support the proposed hypothesis.     

Effectiveness of bacterial inoculum and mangrove plants on remediation of sediment contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The remediation of mangrove sediment contaminated with mixed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) having 3-, 4- and 5-rings by natural attenuation, bioaugmentation, phytoremediation and its combination was compared by greenhouse microcosm studies. At Days 90 and 154, the decreases of PAHs in contaminated mangrove sediment by phytoremediation, planted with one-year old Aegiceras corniculatum, and bioaugmentation, the inoculation of PAH-degrading bacterial strains isolated from mangrove sediment, either SCSH (Mycobacterium parafortuitum) or SAFY (Sphingobium yanoikuyae), were not better than that by natural attenuation (the non-vegetated and un-inoculated microcosms). The populations of SCSH and SAFY in sediment could not be maintained even with repeated inoculation, suggesting that the two isolates were not able to compete with the indigenous microbes and had little enhancement effect. Although some PAHs were accumulated in roots, root uptake only accounted for <15% of the spiked PAHs and the effect of plants on remediation were also insignificant. At the end of the 154-day experiment, the mass balance calculation revealed that the overall losses of PAHs by phytoremediation were comparable to that by bioaugmentation but were lower than that by natural attenuation, especially for the high molecular weight PAHs. Under natural attenuation, around 90% fluorene, 80% phenanthrene, 70% fluoranthene, 68% pyrene and 32% benzo[a]pyrene in contaminated sediment were removed. These results demonstrated that the mangrove sediment itself had sufficient indigenous microorganisms capable of naturally remedying PAH contamination.     

北京采矿废弃地植物修复重金属去除率研究

结合北京市采矿废弃地土壤地质环境情况,选取密云区西坨古金矿尾矿土、密云区冯家峪铁矿尾矿土和门头沟区桑峪煤矸石堆为研究对象,进行植物修复研究。共开展4种类型的修复试验,即选用高羊茅、紫花苜蓿和三叶草3种修复植物分别进行修复,同时与板蓝根、桔梗、波斯菊和薄荷等中草药进行混合种植修复,在植物生命周期的不同阶段采集样品分析测试。结果表明:在4种修复类型中,高羊茅对金矿尾矿土中Pb、Zn、Cr、Cd去除效果最好,最大去除率达到18.10%、14.57%、13.81%、18.12%;混合种植对铁矿尾矿土中Cr、Ni、As、Hg去除率达到4种修复类型的最大值,分别为14.81%、9.80%、37.25%、50%。三叶草对煤矸石修复效果最好,对Cr、Pb、Zn、Cd的去除率分别为5.65%、37.15%、15.15%、20%,是4种修复模式去除率的最大值。在生命周期的不同阶段,对比4种修复模式对采矿废弃地土壤中8种重金属的去除效果,均发现有去除率先升后降的现象,因此可对修复植物的进行定期收割,为提高植物吸附土壤重金属的效率,提供一定科学依据。     

Phytoremediation of Sb,As, Cu,and Zn from Contaminated Water by the Aquatic Macrophyte Eleocharis acicularis

Sb, As, Cu, and Zn toxicity and contamination have become a growing concern in recent years. Phytoremediation, a plant based and cost effective technology, may be an effective approach in the cleanup of water contaminated by these metals. In this study, the aquatic macrophyte Eleocharis acicularis was used in laboratory and field experiments to assess its capability to accumulate Sb, As, Cu, and Zn, and thereby investigate its potential application in phytoremediation. The results showed that E. acicularis adapted well to water contaminated by these metals. The removal rates of Sb, As, Cu, and Zn in the laboratory experiment were 3.04, 2.75, 0.417, and 1.49 μg/L/day, respectively. The highest concentrations of these metals accumulated in E. acicularis after 10 days of the laboratory experiment were 6.29, 6.44, 20.5, and 73.5 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. Only 8% of As, 12% of Sb, 87% of Cu and 93% of Zn removed from the water were used by E. acicularis. The highest concentrations of Sb, As, Cu, and Zn accumulated in E. acicularis after 10 wk of the field experiment were 76.0, 22.4, 33.9, and 266 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. The results indicate that E. acicularis has the ability to accumulate Sb, As, Cu, and Zn from contaminated water.