Field accumulation and translocation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from industrial soil by the biodiesel plant, Jatropha curcas

Samples of Jatropha curcas, a non-edible biodiesel plant, which tolerates harsh environments was collected from an industrial area with high anthropogenic activities (Challawa Industrial area, Kano, Nigeria)and sorted into leaves, stems and roots. The aim is to assess the potentials of Jatropha curcas in accumulation and translocation of six Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) (Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni) from the soil media. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) was used to assess the concentrations. The bioaccumulation/ transfer of metals from roots to shoots and from soil to roots were evaluated in terms of translocation (TF) and bioconcentration factor (BCF). TF values of 1.02, 4.92, 2.68, 3.73, 1.5 and 3.19 for Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni respectively indicate that J. curcas was efficient in translocation of PTEs from roots to shoots. This is an indication that the plant is therefore suitable for phytoextraction of Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni. But CF value of 0.66 and 0.70 for Cu and Pb on the other hand shows that J. curcas is less able to translocate these two metals (Cu and Pb) indicating ineffective transfer. This show that J. curcas may be suitable a candidate for phytostabilization of Copper and lead in contaminated soils in the study area.

Environmental Impact for 3D Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds Life Cycle: An Assessment

With the development of additive manufacturing technology, 3D bone tissue engineering scaffolds have evolved. Bone tissue engineering is one of the techniques for repairing bone abnormalities caused by a variety of circumstances, such as injuries or the need to support damaged sections. Many bits of research have gone towards developing 3D bone tissue engineering scaffolds all across the world. The assessment of the environmental impact, on the other hand, has received less attention. As a result, the focus of this study is on developing a life cycle assessment (LCA) model for 3D bone tissue engineering scaffolds and evaluating potential environmental impacts. One of the methodologies to evaluating a complete environmental impact assessment is life cycle assessment (LCA). The cradle-to-grave method will be used in this study, and GaBi software was used to create the analysis for this study. Previous research on 3D bone tissue engineering fabrication employing poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) soaked in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and diphenyl (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phosphine oxide (TPO) as a photoinitiator will be reviewed. Meanwhile, digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing is employed as the production technique. The GaBi program and the LCA model developed to highlight the potential environmental impact. This study shows how the input and output of LCA of 3D bone tissue engineering scaffolds might contribute to environmental issues such as air, freshwater, saltwater, and industrial soil emissions. The emission contributing to potential environmental impacts comes from life cycle input, electricity and transportation consumption, manufacturing process, and material resources. The results from this research can be used as an indicator for the researcher to take the impact of the development of 3D bone tissue engineering on the environment seriously.

Taxonomic and phylogenetic insights into novel Ascomycota from contaminated soils in Yunnan, China

Industrial soil contamination negatively affects flora and fauna in the soil. Nevertheless, some fungi have the ability to survive in such polluted soils. In this study, we isolated fungal strains from polluted soils in industrialized areas of Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China. Fungal strains underwent morphological observations, subjected to phylogenetic analyses and subsequently described using morphological characterizations and multigene phylogenetic inferences. The molecular data of partial nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) (LSU, SSU and ITS) and protein-coding genes (tef1-α, rpb2 and btub) were used to resolve the phylogeny of newly generated sequences. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses were constructed to clarify phylogenetic affinities. Based on the biphasic approach of incorporating morphology and molecular data, we introduce one new species, Juxtiphoma yunnanensis sp. nov. (Didymellaceae, Pleosporales), two new records viz. Lecanicillium dimorphum (J.D. Chen) Zare & W. Gams (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (Sacc.) Bainier (Microascaceae, Microascales) inhabit polluted soils in China.

Plasmid profiling of multiple antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from soil of the industrial area in Chittagong, Bangladesh

Background Multiple antibiotic-resistant (MAR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) plays a significant role in triggering nosocomial infection in clinical settings. While P. aeruginosa isolated from the environment is often regarded as non-pathogenic, the progressive development of antibiotic resistance necessitates exploring the MAR patterns and transposable genetic elements like plasmid in the isolates. Results Using ecfX gene-based PCR, 32 P. aeruginosa isolates among 48 soil samples collected from the industrial region have been confirmed. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of those isolates revealed that 5 (15.63%) of them were resistant to a range of antibiotics, and they were categorized as MAR isolates. Nevertheless, all MAR isolates were found resistant to piperacillin and gentamicin, but none of them to ceftazidime, aztreonam, and ciprofloxacin. Moreover, the isolates were also showed resistance to amikacin (60%), tobramycin (80%), netilmicin (80%), imipenem (60%), doripenem (40%), meropenem (60%), and cefixime (40%). Furthermore, 60% of MAR isolates possessed double plasmids of 1000–2000 bp sizes which indicates the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in MAR P. aeruginosa might be correlated with the presence of those plasmids. The MAR index’s high threshold values (> 0.20) implied that the isolates were from high-risk environmental sites where the presence of numerous antibiotic residues happened. Conclusions These findings highlighted the presence of multiple antibiotic resistance in P. aeruginosa of the industrial soil and a considerable prospect of transferring antibiotic resistance genes in the microbial community by plasmids. We recommend taking immediate stringent measures to prohibit the unnecessary and overuse of antibiotics in agricultural, industrial, or other purposes.

Metagenomic Analysis for Taxonomic and Functional Potential of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Degrading Bacterial Communities in Steel Industrial Soil

Iron and steel industries are the major contributors to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The microbial community present at such sites has potential to remediate these contaminants. The present study highlights the metabolic potential of resident microbial community of PAHs and PCB contaminated soil nearby Bhilai steel plant, Chhattisgarh (India). The GC-MS/MS analysis of soil samples MGB-2 (sludge) and MGB-3 (dry soil) resulted in identification of different classes of POPs including PAHs {benzo[a]anthracene (nd; 17.69%), fluorene (15.89%, nd), pyrene (nd; 18.7%), benzo(b)fluoranthene (3.03%, nd), benzo(k)fluoranthene (11.29%; nd), perylene (5.23%; nd)} and PCBs (PCB-15, PCB-95, and PCB-136). Whole-genome metagenomic analysis by Oxford Nanopore GridION Technology revealed Proteobacteria (44.3%; 50.0%) to be the prominent phylum followed by Actinobacteria (22.1%; 19.5%) in MBG-2 and MBG-3, respectively. The sample MGB-3 was richer in terms of macronutrients (C, N, P) supporting high microbial diversity than MGB-2. Taxonomic vis-à-vis functional analysis identified Burkholderia, Bradyrhizobium, Mycobacterium, and Rhodopseudomonas as the keystone degrader of PAH and PCB. Overall, our results revealed the importance of metagenomic together with physicochemical analysis of contaminated site which improves the understanding of metabolic potential and adaptation of bacteria growing under stressful environment.

Bench-scale Electrochemical Treatment of Co-contaminated Clayey Soil

Industrial soil contamination is frequently unearthed by transportation agencies during construction within the right-of-way. As a result, transportation agencies may experience construction delays. Soils co-contaminated with high-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HMW-PAHs) and metals are commonly encountered in Illinois and exhibit recalcitrance towards conventional treatment technologies. This issue is exacerbated in the fine-grained soils common to Illinois, where low-permeability and immense sorption capacity increase treatment complexity, cost, and duration. Contaminated sites are spatially and temporally restrictive and require rapid in situ treatments, whereas conventional soil remediation requires 1 to 3 years on average. Consequently, transportation agencies typically pursue excavation and off-site disposal for expediency. However, this solution is expensive, so a comparatively expeditious and affordable treatment alternative is needed to combat the increasing cost of hazardous waste disposal. The objective of this work was to develop an accelerated in situ treatment approach adaptable for use at any construction site to cost-effectively remove HMW-PAHs and metals from clayey soil. It was hypothesized that an in situ electrochemical treatment which augments electrokinetics with H2O2 could remediate both HMW-PAHs and metals in less than a month. Bench-scale reactors resemblant of field-scale in situ electrokinetic systems were designed and fabricated to assess the electrochemical treatment of clayey soils contaminated with HMW-PAHs and metals. Pyrene, chromium, and manganese were used as model contaminants, spiked into kaolinite as a model clay. Electrokinetics were imposed by a low-intensity electrical field distributed by graphite rods. Electrolytic H2O2 systems were leveraged to distribute electrical current and facilitate contaminant removal. Average contaminant removals of 100%, 42.3%, and 4.5% were achieved for pyrene, manganese, and chromium, respectively. Successful development of this bench-scale treatment approach will serve to guide transportation agencies in field-scale implementation. The results from this work signify that electrochemical systems that leverage eco-friendly oxidant addition can replace excavation and disposal as a means of addressing clayey soils co-contaminated with HMW-PAHs and metals.

Effect of inorganic carbonate and organic matter in thermal treatment of mercury-contaminated soil

Thermal treatment of mercury (Hg)-contaminated soil was studied to investigate the desorption behavior of Hg at different temperatures. The soil samples were collected from two locations with different land uses around the mine and industrial site. The effect of soil properties such as inorganic carbonate minerals and organic matter content on Hg desorption was investigated to understand the thermal desorption process. The effect of soil composition on Hg desorption showed that behavior at 100 °C was similar, but a different behavior could be found at 300 °C. The thermal desorption efficiency at 300 °C is affected by the thermal properties of soils and the Hg desorption capacity of the soils. The Hg from both soil types was removed above 300 °C, and Hg was effectively removed from mine soil due to the partial decomposition of carbonate in the soil composition, while industrial soil showed that desorption would be restrained by Hg organic matter complexes due to organic matter content. Despite a relatively higher concentration of Hg in the mine soil, Hg removal efficiency was greater than that in the industrial soil. Sequential extraction results showed that only the Hg fractions (residual fractions, step 6) in mine soil changed, while the industrial soil was affected by changes in Hg fractions (step 3 to step 6) at 300 °C. Changes in soil pH during thermal desorption are also influenced by heating time and temperature. Therefore, the mechanisms of Hg desorption during thermal treatment were observed by soil properties. The volatilization of Hg in the soil is induced by organic carbon, while soil Hg release is controlled by organic matter complexes.

Phytoremediation of potentially toxic elements in a polluted industrial soil using Poinsettia

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pollution has become a serious environmental threat, particularly in developing countries such as China. In response, there is a growing interest in phytoremediation studies to identify plant species as designated hyperaccumulators of PTEs in polluted soils. Poinsettia was selected as a candidate species for phytoremediation of six PTEs (Zn, Pb, Hg, Cr, As, Cu) in this study. A pot cultivation experiment (randomized incomplete block experimental design with 5 treatments and 4 blocks) was conducted using contaminated soils gathered from an industrial area in southcentral China. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF), translocation factor (TF), and bioconcentration factor were analyzed to determine the phytoremediation potential of poinsettia potted in different ratios of polluted soils. One-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey’s test showed that poinsettia had significant uptake of Zn, Pb, Cu (BAF < 1 and TF < 1, p < 0.05) and Hg (BAF < 1 and TF > 1, p < 0.05). Poinsettias can therefore effectively accumulate Zn, Pb, and Cu in their lateral roots while extracting and transferring Hg into their leaves. Moreover, poinsettia exhibited tolerance towards As and Cr. Interestingly, it was also observed that PTEs can inhibit the height of potted poinsettia at a certain concentration.