Mechanism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degradation in the rhizosphere of Phragmites australis: Organic acid co-metabolism, iron-driven, and microbial response.

Microbial co-metabolism is crucial for the efficient biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); however, their intrinsic mechanisms remain unclear. To explore the co-metabolic degradation of PAHs, root organic acids (ROAs) (phenolic ROAs: caffeic acid [CA] and ferulic acid [FA]; non-phenolic ROAs: oxalic acid [OA]) were exogenously added as co-metabolic substrates under high (HFe) and low (LFe) iron levels in this study. The results demonstrated that more than 90% of PAHs were eliminated from the rhizosphere of Phragmites australis. OA can promote the enrichment of unrelated degrading bacteria and non-specific dioxygenases. FA with a monohydroxy structure can activate hydroxylase; however, it relies on phytosiderophores released by plants (such as OA) to adapt to stress. Therefore, non-specific co-metabolism occurred in these units. The best performance for PAH removal was observed in the HFe-CA unit because: (a) HFe concentrations enriched the Fe-reducing and denitrifying bacteria and promoted the rate-limiting degradation for PAHs as the enzyme cofactor; (b) CA with a dihydroxyl structure enriched the related degrading bacteria, stimulated specific dioxygenase, and activated Fe to concentrate around the rhizosphere simultaneously to perform the specific co-metabolism. Understanding the co-metabolic degradation of PAHs will help improve the efficacy of rhizosphere-mediated remediation.

[Anaerobic biodegradation of phthalic acid esters (Paes) in municipal sludge].

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs), a class of organic pollutants with potent endocrine-disrupting properties, are widely present in municipal sludge. Study of PAEs biodegradation under different anaerobic biological treatment processes of sludge is, therefore, essential for a safe use of sludge in agricultural practice. In this study, we selected two major sludge PAEs, i.e. di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-(2-enthylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), to investigate their biodegradation behaviors in an anaerobic sludge digestion system and a fermentative hydrogen production system. The possible factors influencing PAEs biodegradation in relation to changes of sludge properties were also discussed. The results showed that the biodegradation of DBP reached 99.6% within 6 days, while that of DEHP was 46.1% during a 14-day incubation period in the anaerobic digestion system. By comparison, only 19.5% of DBP was degraded within 14 days in the fermentative hydrogen production system, while no degradation was detected for DEHP. The strong inhibition of the degradation of both PAEs in the fermentative hydrogen production system was ascribed to the decreases in microbial biomass and ratios of gram-positive bacteria/gram-negative bacteria and fungi/ bacteria, and the increase of concentrations of volatile fatty acids (e. g. acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid) during the fermentative hydrogen-producing process.

[Application potential of siderophore-producing rhizobacteria in phytoremediation of heavy metals-contaminated soils: a review].

Siderophore-producing rhizobacteria (SPR) are a group of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, being able to play an important role in assisting the phytoremediation of heavy metals-contaminated soils. Based on the comprehensive analysis of related researches at home and abroad, this paper elaborated the functions of SPR in alleviating the heavy metals stress and toxicity to plants and the mechanisms of SPR in improving the heavy metals bioavailability in soil, and indicated that SPR had good application potential in promoting the plant growth in heavy metals-contaminated soils and reinforcing the heavy metals accumulation in plants. The contradictory phenomena of SPR in increasing or decreasing heavy metals accumulation in plants, which existed in current researches, were also analyzed. Aiming at the deficiencies in current researches, it was suggested that in the future researches, the mechanisms of the interactions between SPR and plants, especially hyperaccumulators, should be further studied, the key factors affecting the heavy metals complexation and mobilization in soil by siderophores should also be further clarified, the effects of siderophores on the heavy metals bioavailability and its subsequent influence on the heavy metals uptake by plants should be comprehensively considered, and the measures for improving the colonization of SPR in heavy metals-contaminated soil should be explored.

[Using kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) to reclaim multi-metal contaminated acidic soil].

A five-year field trial was conducted at the surrounding area of Dabao Mountain Mine to explore the feasibility and availability of using kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) , a fiber crop with strong heavy metals tolerance and potential economic value, to reclaim the multi-metal contaminated acidic farmland soil. Different amendments were applied prior to the kenaf planting to evaluate their effects on the soil properties and kenaf growth. After the amendments application, the kenaf could grow well on the heavy metals contaminated soil with the Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and As concentrations being 1600, 440, 640, 7. 6, and 850 mg . kg-1, respectively. Among the amendments, dolomite and fly ash had better effects than limestone and organic fertilizer. With the application of dolomite and fly ash, the aboveground dry mass production of kenaf reached 14-15 t . hm-2, which was similar to that on normal soils, and the heavy metal concentrations in the bast fiber and stem of kenaf decreased significantly, as compared with the control. The mass of the bast fiber accounted for 32% -38% of the shoot production, and the extractable heavy metal concentrations in the bast fiber could meet the standard of 'technical specifications of ecological textiles' in China, suggesting that the bast fiber had potential economic value. It was suggested that planting kenaf combining with dolomite/fly ash application could be an effective measure to reclaim the multi-metal contaminated acidic farmland soil.