Cow Dung as a Bioremediation Agent to Petroleum Hydrocarbon Contaminated Agricultural Soils

Petroleum derived products are very important as they are energy source and it is prone to accidental spill regularly during the exploration, production, refining, transport and storage. The characteristics of the hydrocarbon content of the petroleum mixture influence the degradability of individual hydrocarbon components; the simpler the hydrocarbon structure the easier its biodegradability and the complex the hydrocarbon structure the harder its biodegradability. Furthermore, the order of biodegradability of hydrocarbon is alkanes > alkenes > alkynes > aromatics. Bioremediation technologies are effective techniques to mitigate many organic and inorganic contaminants such as hydrocarbons, halogenated organic compounds, halogenated organic solvent, non-chlorinated pesticides and herbicides, nitrogen compounds, radionuclides, heavy metals. Bioremediation is having different strategies like an exploration of indigenous microbial populations, bio-stimulation, temperature, soil pH, bio-augmentation, phytoremediation, photo-degradation, phyto-volatilization and phyto-stabilization. Cow dung, excreta of bovine animal is a cheap and easily available bio-resource on earth. Many traditional uses of cow dung are already known in India. Cow dung harbors a diverse group of microorganisms that may be beneficial to humans due to their ability to produce a range of metabolites. Nowadays, there is an increasing research interest in developing the applications of cow dung microorganisms as a bioremediation agent to hydrocarbon contaminated soils. Microorganisms capable of degrading hydrocarbon pollutants have been identified and isolated from cow dung. These organisms include; Micrococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Enterobacter sp., Proteus kleibsilla, Aspergillus sp., Rhizopus and Penicillium. Therefore, cow dung is an effective, economical and eco-friendly bioremediation agent which can lead to the complete mineralization of hydrocarbon. The post remediation assessment of residual hydrocarbons in contaminated soil can be done with gas chromatographic fingerprinting technique and phytotoxicity bioassay.

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Lead (II) Removal from Contaminated Soils by Electrokinetic Remediation Coupled with Modified Eggshell Waste

Key Engineering Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.777.256 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 777 ◽

pp. 256-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

André Ribeiro ◽

André Mota ◽

Margarida Soares ◽

Carlos Castro ◽

Jorge Araújo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Contaminated Soil ◽

Contaminated Soils ◽

Removal Rate ◽

Electrokinetic Remediation ◽

Permeable Reactive Barrier ◽

Inorganic Contaminants ◽

Reactive Barrier ◽

Eggshell Waste ◽

Inorganic Fraction ◽

Maximum Removal

Electrokinetic remediation deserves particular attention in soil treatment due to its peculiar advantages, including the capability of treating fine and low permeability materials, and achieving consolidation, dewatering and removal of salts and inorganic contaminants like heavy metals in a single stage. In this study, the remediation of artificially lead (II) contaminated soil by electrokinetic process, coupled with Eggshell Inorganic Fraction Powder (EGGIF) permeable reactive barrier (PRB), was investigated. An electric field of 2 V cm-1was applied and was used an EGGIF/soil ratio of 30 g kg-1 of contaminated soil for the preparation of the permeable reactive barrier (PRB) in each test. It was obtained high removal rates of lead in both experiments, especially near the cathode. In the normalized distance to cathode of 0.2 it was achieved a maximum removal rate of lead (II) of 68, 78 and 83% in initial lead (II) concentration of 500 mg-1, 200 mg-1 and 100 mg-1, respectively. EGGIF (Eggshell Inorganic Fraction) proved that can be used as permeable reactive barrier (PRB) since in all the performed tests were achieved adsorptions yields higher than 90%.

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Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Populations in Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Soils

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.65.2.718-723.1999 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 65 (2) ◽

pp. 718-723 ◽

Cited By ~ 202

Author(s):

C. Del Val ◽

J. M. Barea ◽

C. Azcón-Aguilar

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Heavy Metal ◽

Contaminated Soils ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungus ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Am Fungi ◽

Wiener Index ◽

Life Cycles ◽

The European Union

ABSTRACT High concentrations of heavy metals have been shown to adversely affect the size, diversity, and activity of microbial populations in soil. The aim of this work was to determine how the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is affected by the addition of sewage-amended sludge containing heavy metals in a long-term experiment. Due to the reduced number of indigenous AM fungal (AMF) propagules in the experimental soils, several host plants with different life cycles were used to multiply indigenous fungi. Six AMF ecotypes were found in the experimental soils, showing consistent differences with regard to their tolerance to the presence of heavy metals. AMF ecotypes ranged from very sensitive to the presence of metals to relatively tolerant to high rates of heavy metals in soil. Total AMF spore numbers decreased with increasing amounts of heavy metals in the soil. However, species richness and diversity as measured by the Shannon-Wiener index increased in soils receiving intermediate rates of sludge contamination but decreased in soils receiving the highest rate of heavy-metal-contaminated sludge. Relative densities of most AMF species were also significantly influenced by soil treatments. Host plant species exerted a selective influence on AMF population size and diversity. We conclude based on the results of this study that size and diversity of AMF populations were modified in metal-polluted soils, even in those with metal concentrations that were below the upper limits accepted by the European Union for agricultural soils.

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Effects of organic amendment on some soil physicochemical characteristics and vegetative properties of Zea mays in wetland soils of the Niger Delta impacted with crude oil

International Journal Of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture ◽

10.1007/s40093-019-00315-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (S1) ◽

pp. 423-435

Author(s):

Francis E. Egobueze ◽

Josiah M. Ayotamuno ◽

Chukwujindu M. A. Iwegbue ◽

Chibogwu Eze ◽

Reuben N. Okparanma

Keyword(s):

Zea Mays ◽

Crude Oil ◽

Incubation Time ◽

Contaminated Soils ◽

Niger Delta ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

Plant Performance ◽

Wetland Soils ◽

Cow Dung ◽

Total Period

Abstract Purpose This study sought to investigate the effects of organic amendments on the degradation of hydrocarbons and vegetative properties of Zea mays grown in crude oil-contaminated wetland soils of the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Methods Two soil types were investigated, namely, fadama soil (oxisol) and swamp forest soil (utisol). For each soil type, 48 treatment cells and 1 control containing 1 kg of soil each were spiked with crude oil at concentrations ranging from 50 to 200 g kg−1, representing 5–20% (m/m) contamination levels, respectively. Then, 5 days after the contamination, the soils were amended with cow dung (CD), poultry waste (PW), and palm oil waste (POW). The ratios of soil to organic amendments used were 1:1 and 2:1. The soils were tilled and irrigated regularly, and monitored for a total period of 112 days. The same conditions were used to investigate the vegetative properties of Z. mays in these oil-contaminated soils with organic amendments. Results The total organic carbon (TOC) and pH increased significantly within the first 2 weeks after crude oil contamination; thereafter, the pH of the soil decreased significantly over incubation time, while there was steady increase in TOC with incubation time. The percentage nitrogen and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) decreased significantly. The utisol soil showed better plant performance, despite the lower hydrocarbon degradation rate. Conclusion The organic amendments showed a TPH degradation trend that followed the order: PW > CD > POW. They also improved the seed emergence of Zea mays.

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Molecular identification of three isolates of Trichoderma harzianum isolated from agricultural soils in Argentina, and their abilities to detoxify in vitro metsulfuron methyl

Botany ◽

10.1139/cjb-2015-0085 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 93 (11) ◽

pp. 793-800 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

María Belén Vázquez ◽

Viviana Barrera ◽

Virginia Bianchinotti

Keyword(s):

Trichoderma Harzianum ◽

Contaminated Soils ◽

Lens Culinaris ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Degradation Products ◽

Cereal Crops ◽

Sulfonylurea Herbicide ◽

Metsulfuron Methyl ◽

Germinated Seeds

Metsulfuron methyl (MM) is a sulfonylurea herbicide used worldwide for the control of weeds in cereal crops. In a previous study, three Trichoderma strains (T5, T6, and T7) capable of using MM as a sole carbon and energy source were isolated. In this study, the three strains were identified as Trichoderma harzianum using genetic markers, and the transformation of MM by the T. harzianum strains was quantified using spectrophotometry. Solutions of different phytotoxic doses of MM were incubated with plugs of mycelia of the Trichoderma strains and the resulting mixtures were used to assess MM detoxification. The toxicity of the degradation products was tested with a bioassay using pre-germinated seeds of Lens culinaris Medik. and mycelia. Strain T7 was more efficient in transforming MM at higher concentrations than the T5 and T6 strains. In the bioassay, T5 showed the best performance at higher MM doses. We conclude that both T5 and T7 strains are promising for further studies regarding treatment or amelioration of MM contaminated soils.

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Biopile to Treat Oil-Contaminated Soils: Some Brazilian Experiance

Linnaeus Eco-Tech ◽

10.15626/eco-tech.2010.010b ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 90

Author(s):

Marcia Marques ◽

Jorge Antonio Lopes ◽

Marcelo Alarsa ◽

Marcos F. Ferrari ◽

Graciane Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Contaminated Soils ◽

Technological Development ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Industrialized Countries ◽

Recent Trends ◽

Growing Economy ◽

And Storage ◽

Further Development ◽

Technological Options

Remediation of soils contaminated with petroleum and its products became a major issue in all regions of the world where on-shore and off-shore exploitation, refining transportation and storage of these products are carried out intensively. Many techniques for remediation of contaminated areas have been developed and tested during decades, being bioremediation both in-situ and ex-situ tow of the available options that require further development, which are currently capturing the attention of different sectors involved with the problem in Brazil. This paper presents the historical perspective of the increasing problem that initially appeared in the most traditional industrialized countries and currently has been intensified in countries with growing economy and technological development such as Brazil. Technological options for remediating the areas, variables relevant to the cleaning process, as well as the most recent trends in Brazil regarding the use of different techniques, with focus on biopiles are briefly presented.

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Effect of Plant Species and Benomyl on Lead Concentration and Removal from Lead-enriched Soil

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.46.12.1604 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 46 (12) ◽

pp. 1604-1607 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Valtcho D. Zheljazkov ◽

Tess Astatkie

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Contaminated Soils ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Indian Mustard ◽

Controlled Environment ◽

Lead Arsenate ◽

Swiss Chard ◽

Thorn Apple ◽

Apple Tissue ◽

Environment Experiment

Some agricultural soils in North America are lead (Pb)-enriched as a result of the application of lead arsenate (PbHAsO4) insecticide. A controlled-environment experiment was conducted with Pb-enriched Canning soil series in Nova Scotia, Canada, to evaluate the remediation potential of 10 plant species in combination with the fungicide benomyl applied as a soil drench to suppress mycorrhizae. Overall, the highest biomass was provided by yellow poppy followed by Indian mustard and thorn apple. The application of benomyl increased Pb concentration in thorn apple tissue but not in the other crops. The phytoremediation potential (Pb removal with the harvested biomass) was higher with clary sage, alyssum, garden sage, and Indian mustard with benomyl treatments and lower in the Swiss chard, thorn apple without benomyl, and in the geranium with benomyl treatments. The results suggest that some plants can be used for phytoremediation of mildly Pb-contaminated soils.

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Soil characteristics constrain the response of bacterial and fungal communities and hydrocarbon degradation genes to phenanthrene soil contamination and phytoremediation with poplars

10.1101/2020.09.04.284042 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sara Correa-García ◽

Karelle Rheault ◽

Julien Tremblay ◽

Armand Séguin ◽

Etienne Yergeau

Keyword(s):

Soil Type ◽

Contaminated Soils ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Its Region ◽

Physicochemical Characteristics ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Contaminant Degradation ◽

Real Time Quantitative Pcr ◽

Genes Encoding ◽

Bacterial Genes

AbstractRhizodegradation is a promising cleanup technology where microorganisms degrade soil contaminants in the rhizosphere. A symbiotic relationship is expected to occur between plant roots and soil microorganisms in contaminated soils that enhance natural microbial degradation in soils. However, little is known about how this initial microbiota influences the rhizodegradation outcome in a context of different soil microbiotas. Recent studies have hinted that soil initial diversity has a determining effect on the outcome of contaminant degradation. To test this hypothesis, we planted (P) or not (NP) balsam poplars (Populus balsamifera) in two soils of contrasting diversity (agricultural and forest) that were contaminated or not with 50 mg kg-1 of phenanthrene (PHE). The DNA from the rhizosphere of the P and the bulk soil of the NP pots was extracted and the bacterial genes encoding for the 16S rRNA, the PAH ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase alpha subunits (PAH-RHDα) of gram-positive (GP) and gram-negative (GN) bacteria, and the fungal ITS region were sequenced to characterize the microbial communities. and the abundance of the PAH-RHDα genes were also quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. Plant presence had a significant effect on PHE degradation only in the forest soil, whereas both NP and P agricultural soils degraded the same amount of PHE. Bacterial communities were principally affected by the soil type, and upon contamination the dominant PAH degrading community was similarly constrained by soil type. Our results highlight the crucial importance of soil microbial and physicochemical characteristics in the outcome of rhizoremediation.

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A review on phytoremediation as an ecological method for in situ clean up of heavy metals contaminated soils

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/201911203024 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 112 ◽

pp. 03024 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Nicolae Cioica ◽

Cătălina Tudora ◽

Dorin Iuga ◽

György Deak ◽

Monica Matei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Contaminated Soils ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Animal Health ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Current State ◽

Cost Effective Method ◽

Excessive Accumulation

Heavy metals are among the most common types of contaminants in agricultural soils, especially those bordering the cities, due to the uncontrolled use of sewage sludge, compost, mining waste and chemical fertilizers. Excessive accumulation of heavy metals, which do not degrade over time, adversely affects crop yields by decreasing microbial activity and fertility of contaminated soils. Also, excess of heavy metals in the soil poses a serious threat to plant and animal health and, through their entry into the food chain, to human health. For this reason, the decontamination of soils contaminated with heavy metals has become a necessity. This review presents the current state of phytoremediation research as the most cost-effective method of in-situ environmental decontamination of soils contaminated with heavy metals.

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Accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in T1 transgenic tobacco seedlings expressing metallothionein gene from Eleusine indica

Australian Journal of Crop Science ◽

10.21475/ajcs.19.13.04.p1630 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 ((04) 2019) ◽

pp. 599-604 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nik Marzuki Sidik ◽

Roslina Mat Yazid ◽

Dhalila Zafirah Mohd Dahlan ◽

Babul Airianah Othman ◽

Ismanizan Ismail

Keyword(s):

Transgenic Tobacco ◽

Contaminated Soils ◽

Crop Production ◽

High Efficiency ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Cadmium Accumulation ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Eleusine Indica ◽

Metallothionein Gene ◽

Tobacco Seedlings

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of urban and agricultural soils is toxic to humans, animals and may cause negative effects on plant growth and crop production. The existing conventional methods are found to be not efficient to remove Cd from contaminated soil. The present experiment reports the analysis of nine T1 lines of transgenic tobacco carrying metallothionein gene (eiMT1) from Eleusine indica, with potential for high efficiency to remediate Cd in contaminated soils. Thirty-days old tobacco plants were treated with different concentrations of CdNO3 (0, 50, 100 and, 150 µmol) for seven days and the accumulation of Cd in the whole seedling was quantitatively determined by using atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS). All transgenic tobacco lines showed greater tolerance and accumulated higher level of Cd than the wild type with lines 18D, 20D1 and, 18C were among the highest (678.7, 623.0 and 611.9 mgkg-1 Cd, respectively). Meanwhile, transgenic tobacco lines 18B1 and 20D1 showed higher expression of eiMT1 gene. These results suggest that the cadmium accumulation in transgenic tobacco did not strictly associate with the expression level of eiMT1 gene. However, expression of eiMT1 greatly required for higher accumulation of Cd in transgenic tobacco seedling.

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Potential Release of Zinc and Cadmium From Mine-Affected Soils Under Flooding, a Mesocosm Study

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology ◽

10.1007/s00244-020-00777-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (4) ◽

pp. 421-434

Author(s):

Elio Padoan ◽

Aline Hernandez Kath ◽

Ledemar Carlos Vahl ◽

Franco Ajmone-Marsan

Keyword(s):

Contaminated Soils ◽

Mining Area ◽

Water Infiltration ◽

Sequential Extractions ◽

Inorganic Contaminants ◽

Soil Redox ◽

Mesocosm Experiments ◽

Rain Events ◽

Redox Equilibria ◽

Environmental Compartments

AbstractMetal-contaminated mining soils pose serious environmental and health risks if not properly managed, especially in mountainous areas, which are more susceptible to perturbation. Currently, climate change is leading to more frequent and intense rain events, which cause flooding episodes, thereby altering soil redox equilibria and contaminants stability. We evaluated the potential release of Zn and Cd (two of the most common inorganic contaminants) and the factors regulating their solubility and speciation in two heavily contaminated soils representative of a Zn-mining area. The soils were flooded under aerobic (for 24 h) and anaerobic (for 62 days) conditions using mesocosm experiments, sequential extractions, and geochemical modelling. Leaching trials under aerobic conditions showed a high release of Zn and Cd (10 times the legislative limits), with metals possibly migrating via water infiltration or runoff. Under anaerobic conditions Zn and Cd were initially released. Then, solution concentrations decreased gradually (Zn) or sharply (Cd) until the end of the experiment. Sequential extractions and multisurface modelling indicated that both metals precipitated mainly as carbonates. This was confirmed by a geochemical multisurface modelling, which also predicted the formation of sulphides after 60 days in one soil. The model calculated metals to be preferentially complexed by organic matter and well predicted the observed soil solution concentrations. The results showed that during flooding episodes contaminants could be promptly transferred to other environmental compartments. The use of multisurface modelling coupled with laboratory experiments provided useful indications on the potential release and speciation in case of anoxic conditions.

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