Influence of Phenanthrene on Cadmium Toxicity to Soil Enzymes and Microbial Growth (5 pp)

Background Many contaminated sites contain a variety of toxicants. Risk assessment and the development of soil quality criteria therefore require information on the interaction among toxicants. Interactions between heavy metals are relatively well studied, but little is known about those between heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Methods 0.1 mg/kg dry soil phenanthrene alone or phenanthrene plus 10 mg/kg cadmium (Cd) were added to soil to determine the influence of phenanthrene on Cd toxicity to soil enzymes (invertase, urease, dehydrogenase and phosphatase) and microorganisms (fungi, bacteria and actinomycete) in paddy soil. Results and Discussion 0.1 mg/kg phenanthrene did not reduce the number of microorganisms. However, the addition of phenanthrene to soil with Cd enhanced the Cd toxicity to soil enzymes and microorganisms. This deleterious effect was seen to mainly affect the growth of fungi and the activity of invertase, urease and dehydrogenase. The order of combined inhibition of Cd and phenanthrene was fungi>bacteria>actinomycete. Conclusion The presence of phenanthrene might enhance the toxicity of Cd to soil microorganisms. Phenanthrene can easily be used by the soil actinomycetes as a source of carbon and energy and the finding may be supportive to the development of bioremediation techniques.     

Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil by composting in biopiles

Composting of contaminated soil in biopiles is an ex situ technology, where organic matter such as bark chips are added to contaminated soil as a bulking agent. Composting of lubricating oil-contaminated soil was performed in field scale ( [Formula: see text] m(3)) using bark chips as the bulking agent, and two commercially available mixed microbial inocula as well as the effect of the level of added nutrients (N,P,K) were tested. Composting of diesel oil-contaminated soil was also performed at one level of nutrient addition and with no inoculum. The mineral oil degradation rate was most rapid during the first months, and it followed a typical first order degradation curve. During 5 months, composting of the mineral oil decreased in all piles with lubrication oil from approximately 2400 to 700 mg (kg dry w)(-1), which was about 70% of the mineral oil content. Correspondingly, the mineral oil content in the pile with diesel oil-contaminated soil decreased with 71% from 700 to 200 mg (kg dry w)(-1). In this type of treatment with addition of a large amount of organic matter, the general microbial activity as measured by soil respiration was enhanced and no particular effect of added inocula was observed.     

Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from aged-contaminated soil using cyclodextrins: experimental study

The removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from soil using water as flushing agent is relatively ineffective due to their low aqueous solubility. However, addition of cyclodextrin (CD) in washing solutions has been shown to increase the removal efficiency several times. Herein are investigated the effectiveness of cyclodextrin to remove PAH occurring in industrially aged-contaminated soil. Beta-cyclodextrin (BCD), hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD) and methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MCD) solutions were used for soil flushing in column test to evaluate some influent parameters that can significantly increase the removal efficiency. The process parameters chosen were CD concentration, ratio of washing solution volume to soil weight, and temperature of washing solution. These parameters were found to have a significant and almost linear effect on PAH removal from the contaminated soil, except the temperature where no significant enhancement in PAH extraction was observed for temperature range from 5 to 35 degrees C. The PAHs extraction enhancement factor compared to water was about 200.     

Natural attenuation of diesel aliphatic hydrocarbons in contaminated agricultural soil

A diesel fuel spill at a concentration of 1 L m(-2) soil was simulated on a 12 m(2) plot of agricultural land, and natural attenuation of aliphatic hydrocarbons was monitored over a period of 400 days following the spill after which the aliphatic hydrocarbon concentrations were found to be below the legal contamination threshold for soil. The main fraction of these compounds (95%) remained at the surface layer (0-10 cm). Shortly after the spill (viz. between days 0 and 18), evaporation was the main origin of the dramatic decrease in pollutant concentrations in the soil. Thereafter, soil microorganisms used aliphatic hydrocarbons as sources of carbon and energy, as confirmed by the degradation ratios found. Soil quality indicators, soil microbial biomass and dehydrogenase activity, regained their original levels about 200 days after the spill.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in crude oil-contaminated soil: A two-step method for the isolation and characterization of PAHs

A two-step analytical method is developed for the isolation and characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in crude oil contaminated soil. In the first step, those crude oil components were isolated which are easily mobilized with water from the contaminated soil (determination of groundwater pollution potential). In the second step, the fraction containing the remaining crude oil compounds was extracted using toluene. After the cleanup of the fractions, both fractions were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC of the toluene extracted fraction shows that along with the sixteen priority pollutants from the US-EPA list, many other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are present as well. It is evident from the chromatograms that a significant amount of PAHs are present as is also the case in the fractions eluted by water. The described method allows the determination of total organic pollutants from crude oil, some of them being potential groundwater contaminants. The major part of the total pollutants could not be mobilized by water and therefore remains in the soil, which was extracted in the second step.     

Characterization of extractable and non-extractable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils and sediments from the Pearl River Delta, China

Formation of bound residues of pollutants in soils and sediments is an important process to control the fate of pollutants in the environment. The most of bound residue is not solvent extractable. In this paper, we measured both extractable and non-extractable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in different organic matter fractions of samples from the Pearl River Delta, China. Non-extractable PAHs concentration was 234.45-1424.57 μg/kg and accounted for 33.78-57.44% of total PAHs. 2-3 Ring PAHs were the dominant species and differed in concentration substantially between the samples. The atomic ratio of PAHs over organic-C in the fractions ordered as solvent soluble organic matter > humin > humic acids, matching the content of aliphatic moieties in the fractions of organic matter. The ratio of extractable and non-extractable PAHs may relate to the aging process of PAHs in soil and sediment.     

Bioremediation of diesel-contaminated soil with composting

The major objective of this research was to find the appropriate mix ratio of organic amendments for enhancing diesel oil degradation during contaminated soil composting. Sewage sludge or compost was added as an amendment for supplementing organic matter for composting of contaminated soil. The ratios of contaminated soil to organic amendments were 1:0.1, 1:0.3, 1:0.5, and 1:1 as wet weight basis. Target contaminant of this research was diesel oil, which was spiked at 10,000 mg/kg sample on a dry weight basis. The degradation of diesel oil was significantly enhanced by the addition of these organic amendments relative to straight soil. Degradation rates of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and n-alkanes were the greatest at the ratio of 1:0.5 of contaminated soil to organic amendments on wet weight basis. Preferential degradation of n-alkanes over TPH was observed regardless of the kind and the amount of organic amendments. The first order degradation constant of n-alkanes was about twice TPH degradation constant. Normal alkanes could be divided in two groups (C10-C15 versus C16-C20) based on the first order kinetic constant. Volatilization loss of TPH was only about 2% of initial TPH. Normal alkanes lost by volatilization were mainly by the compounds of C10 to C16. High correlations (r=0.80-0.86) were found among TPH degradation rate, amount of CO2 evolved, and dehydrogenase activity.     

Reducing plant uptake of PAHs by cationic surfactant-enhanced soil retention

Reducing the transfer of contaminants from soils to plants is a promising approach to produce safe agricultural products grown on contaminated soils. In this study, 0-400 mg/kg cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) and dodecylpyridinium bromide (DDPB) were separately utilized to enhance the sorption of PAHs onto soils, thereby reducing the transfer of PAHs from soil to soil solution and subsequently to plants. Concentrations of phenanthrene and pyrene in vegetables grown in contaminated soils treated with the cationic surfactants were lower than those grown in the surfactant-free control. The maximum reductions of phenanthrene and pyrene were 66% and 51% for chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium L.), 62% and 71% for cabbage (Brassica campestris L.), and 34% and 53% for lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), respectively. Considering the impacts of cationic surfactants on plant growth and soil microbial activity, CTMAB was more appropriate to employ, and the most effective dose was 100-200 mg/kg.     

Potential use of DNA adducts to detect mutagenic compounds in soil

In this study, three different soils with contrasting features, spiked with 300 mg benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)/kg dry soil, were incubated at 20 °C and 60% water holding capacity for 540 days. At different time points, BaP and DNA were extracted and quantified, and DNA adducts were quantified by ³²P-postlabelling. After 540 days incubation, 69.3, 81.6 and 83.2% of initial BaP added remained in Cruden Bay, Boyndie and Insch soils, respectively. Meanwhile, a significantly different amount of DNA-BaP adducts were found in the three soils exposed to BaP over time. The work demonstrates the concept that DNA adducts can be detected on DNA extracted from soil. Results suggest the technique is not able to directly reflect bioavailability of BaP transformation products. However, this new method provides a potential way to detect mutagenic compounds in contaminated soil and to assess the outcomes of soil remediation.     

Oxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by fungal isolates from an oil contaminated refinery soil

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Indigenous soil microorganisms are used for the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in oily waste residues from the petroleum refining industry. The objective of this investigation was to determine the potential of indigenous strains of fungi in soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons to biodegrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty one fungal strains were isolated from a soil used for land-farming of oily waste residues from the petrochemical refining industry in Singapore and identified to genus level using laboratory culture and morphological techniques. Isolates were incubated in the presence of 30 mg/L of phenanthrene over a period of 28 days at 30 degrees C. The most effective strain was further evaluated to determine its ability to oxidise a wider range of PAH compounds of various molecular weight i.e acenaphthene, fluorene, fluoranthene, chrysene, benzo(a)pyrene and dibenz(ah)anthracene RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: After 28 days of incubation, 18 of the 21 fungal cultures were capable of oxidising over 50% of the phenanthrene present in culture medium, relative to abiotic controls. Fungal isolate, Penicillium sp. 06, was able to oxidise 89% of the phenanthrene present. This isolate could also oxidise more than 75% of the acenaphthene, fluorene and fluoranthene after 30 days of incubation. However, the oxidation of high molecular weight PAH i.e. chrysene, benzo(a)pyrene and dibenz(ah)anthracene by the Penicillium sp. 06 isolate was limited, where the extent of oxidation was inversely proportional to PAH molecular weight. CONCLUSIONS: Fungal isolate, Penicillium sp. 06, was effective at oxidising a range of PAH in petroleum contaminated soils, but higher molecular weight PAH were more recalcitrant. RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: There is potential for the re-application of this fungal strain to soil for bioremediation purposes.     

Aliphatic Hydrocarbons Distribution in Sediment Cores of Select Creeks in Delta State,Nigeria

The spatial and seasonal changes in the distribution, composition, and concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons were investigated in sediment cores of Ubeji, Ifie, and Egbokodo Creeks in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. A total of 222 sediment core samples were collected during the wet season (August 2010) and the dry season (January 2011). The samples were dried, soxhlet extracted, fractionated and analyzed for aliphatic hydrocarbons by using a gas chromatograph with flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons ranged from 37 to 286,894 μg/kg (wet season) and from 30 to 11,773 μg/kg (dry season). The concentrations of n-alkanes for a number of stations in this study are comparable to sites with high anthropogenic activities in the Niger Delta. The carbon preference index (CPI) and the pristane/phytane ratios showed that the major source of hydrocarbon pollution in the sediment core was from petrogenic origin.     

Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from manufactured gas plant-contaminated soils using sunflower oil: laboratory column experiments

Laboratory column experiments were performed to remove PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) from two contaminated soils using sunflower oil. Two liters of sunflower oil was added to the top of the columns (33 cm x 21 cm) packed with 1 kg of PAH-contaminated soil. The sunflower oil was applied sequentially in two different ways, i.e. five additions of 400 ml or two additions of 1l. The influence of PAH concentration and the volume of sunflower oil on PAH removal were examined. A soil respiration experiment was carried out and organic carbon contents of the soils were measured to determine degradability of remaining sunflower oil in the soils. Results showed that the sunflower oil was effective in removing PAHs from the two soils, more PAHs were removed by adding sunflower oil in two steps than in five steps, probably because of the slower flow rate in the former method. More than 90% of total PAHs was removed from a heavily contaminated soil (with a total 13 PAH concentration of 4721 mg kg(-1)) using 4 l of sunflower oil. A similar removal efficiency was obtained for another contaminated soil (with a total 13 PAH concentration of 724 mg kg(-1)), while only 2l was needed to give a similar efficiency. Approximately 4-5% of the sunflower oil remained in the soils. Soil respiration curves showed that remaining sunflower oil was degraded by allowing air exchange and supplying with nutrients. Organic carbon content of the soil was restored to original level after 180 d incubation. These results indicated that the sunflower oil had a great capacity to remove PAHs from contaminated soils, and sunflower oil solubilization can be an alternative technique for remediation of PAH contaminated soils.     

Assessment of honey contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The aim of this study was to assess honey contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Six species of honey were examined, as well as rape blossom and soil from villages P?czerzyno and Przybys?aw in West Pomerania, Poland. The instrumental analysis was performed using a HP 6890 gas chromatograph coupled to a HP 5973 mass spectrometer with selected ion monitoring (SIM). Quantification was done by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using perdeuterated internal standards. Both soil samples showed high levels of all 23 PAHs, whereas honey contained mostly non-carcinogenic PAHs of low molecular weight. The most contaminated honey from P?czerzyno contained 0.24 μg kg-1 benzo[a]pyrene. Moreover, despite low contamination of honey, a positive correlation was found between PAH content in honey, blossom and soil.     

A Rapid In Situ Respiration Test for Measuring Aerobic Biodegradation Rates of Hydrocarbons in Soil

An in situ test method to measure the aerobic biodegradation rates of hydrocarbons in contaminated soil is presented. The test method provides an initial assessment of bioventing as a remediation technology for hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. The in situ respiration test consists of ventilating the contaminated soil of the unsatiirated zone with air and periodically monitoring the depletion of oxygen (O2) and production of carbon dioxide (CO2) over time after the air is turned off. The test is simple to implement and generally takes about four to five days to complete. The test was applied at eight hydrocarbon-contaminated sites of different geological and climatic conditions. These sites were contaminated with petroleum products or petroleum fuels, except for two sites where the contaminants were primarily polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Oxygen utilization rates for the eight sites ranged from 0.02 to 0.99 percent O2/hour. Estimated biodegradation rates ranged from 0.4 to 19 mg/kg of soil/day. These rates were similar to the biodegradation rates obtained from field and pilot studies using mass balance methods. Estimated biodegradation rates based on O2 utilization were generally more reliable (especially for alkaline soils) than rates based on CO2 production. CO2 produced from microbial respiration was probably converted to carbonate under alkaline conditions.     

Trace elements, organochlorines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, and furans in lesser scaup wintering on the Indiana Harbor Canal

During the winter of 1993-94, male lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) were collected on the heavily polluted Indiana Harbor Canal (IHC), East Chicago, IN, USA, and examined for tissue contaminant levels. Lesser scaup collected on the IHC had higher concentrations of cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), selected organchlorine pesticides, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and aliphatic hydrocarbons than reference birds. Of the scaup collected on the IHC, 44% had Cd concentrations in the liver considered above background for freshwater waterfowl (>3 microg/g dry wt.), 50% had Se concentrations in the liver above a level possibly harmful to the health of young and adult birds (>33 microg/g dry wt.), and 88% of the scaup carcasses exceeded the PCB human consumption guidelines for edible poultry in the USA (>3.0 microg/g lipid wt.). The ratio of pristane:n-heptadecane concentrations in 47% of lesser scaup collected on IHC was elevated above 1.0, which is indicative of chronic exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons.     

自然水体中主要有毒有机物的研究进展

介绍了主要有毒有机物多环芳烃(PAHs)、多氯联苯(PCBs)、有机氯农药(OCPs)在环境中的危害及其来源,着重评述了近年来中国自然水体中和沉积物中该类污染物的研究进展,指出新的检测技术的开发、有毒有机物的生殖毒性和生态环境风险影响方法学的研究及污染区域污染控制、消减及修复是今后该领域的工作重点.     

Dissipation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the rhizosphere: Synthesis through meta-analysis

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread and persistent organic pollutants with high carcinogenic effect and toxicity; their behavior and fate in the soil-plant system have been widely investigated. In the present paper, meta-analysis was used to explore the interaction between plant growth and dissipation of PAHs in soil based on the large body of published literature. Plants have a promoting effect on PAH dissipation in soils. There was no difference in PAH dissipation between soils contaminated with single and mixed PAHs. However, plants had a more obvious effect on PAH dissipation in freshly-spiked soils than in long-term field-polluted soils. Additionally, a positive effect of the number of microbial populations capable of degrading PAHs was observed in the rhizosphere compared with the bulk soil. Our meta-analysis established the importance of the rhizosphere effect on PAH dissipation in variety of the soil-plant systems.     

Sorption of native polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to black carbon and amended activated carbon in soil

Organic pollutants (e.g. polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)) strongly sorb to carbonaceous sorbents such as black carbon and activated carbon (BC and AC, respectively). For a creosote-contaminated soil (Sigma15PAH 5500 mg kg(dry weight(dw))(-1)) and an urban soil with moderate PAH content (Sigma15PAH 38 mg kg(dw)(-1)), total organic carbon-water distribution coefficients (K(TOC)) were up to a factor of 100 above values for amorphous (humic) organic carbon obtained by a frequently used Linear-Free-Energy Relationship. This increase could be explained by inclusion of BC (urban soil) or oil (creosote-contaminated soil) into the sorption model. AC is a manufactured sorbent for organic pollutants with similar strong sorption properties as the combustion by-product BC. AC has the potential to be used for in situ remediation of contaminated soils and sediments. The addition of small amounts of powdered AC (2%) to the moderately contaminated urban soil reduced the freely dissolved aqueous concentration of native PAH in soil/water suspensions up to 99%. For granulated AC amended to the urban soil, the reduction in freely dissolved concentrations was not as strong (median 64%), especially for the heavier PAH. This is probably due to blockage of the pore system of granulated AC resulting in AC deactivation by soil components. For powdered and granulated AC amended to the heavily contaminated creosote soil, median reductions were 63% and 4%, respectively, probably due to saturation of AC sorption sites by the high PAH concentrations and/or blockage of sorption sites and pores by oil.     

Dynamics of carbon, nitrogen and hydrocarbons in diesel-contaminated soil amended with biosolids and maize

Contamination of soil with hydrocarbons occurs frequently when petroleum ducts are damaged. Restoration of those contaminated soils might be achieved by applying readily available organic material. An uncontaminated clayey soil sampled in the vicinity of a duct carrying diesel which ruptured recently, was contaminated in the laboratory and amended with or without maize or biosolids while production of carbon dioxide (CO(2)), dynamics of ammonia (NH(4)(+)), nitrates (NO(3)(-)), and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) were monitored. The fastest mineralization of diesel, as witnessed by production of CO(2), was found when biosolids were added, but the amount mineralized after 100 days, approximately 88%, was similar in all treatments. Approximately 5 mg of the 48 mg TPH kg(-1) found in the sterilized soil at the beginning of the experiment could not be accounted for after 100 days. The concentration of TPH in the unsterilized soil decreased rapidly in all treatments, but the rate of decrease was different between the treatments. The fastest decrease was found in the soil amended with biosolids and approximately 30 mg TPH kg(-1) or 60% could not be accounted for within 7 days. The decrease in concentration of TPH at the onset of the incubation was similar in the other treatments. After 100 days, the concentration of TPH was similar in all soils and appear to stabilize at 19 mg TPH kg(-1) soil. It was concluded that biosolids accelerated the decomposition of diesel and TPH due to its large nutrient content, but after 100 days the amount of diesel mineralized and the residual concentration of TPH was not affected by the treatment applied.     

Effects of alkaline dust deposits from phosphate fertilizer production on microbial biomass and enzyme activities in grassland soils

Microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) and soil enzyme activities were measured at 12 sites along a gradient of former emissions of phosphate fertilizer production. Seven years after close down of operation, still moderate to high total concentrations of the dust constituents cadmium (up to 33 mg kg-1 dw), fluoride (5300 mg kg-1 dw) and phosphorous (120,000 mg kg-1 dw) were found in topsoils of contaminated sites. Accumulation of partially decomposed plant matter, soil respiration and dehydrogenase activity paralleled the increase of dust deposits, whereas microbial biomass decreased along the gradient. A significant negative correlation was obtained between the Cmic-to-Corg-ratio and the concentration of contaminants. In contrast, the Cmic-specific respiration (qCO2) and the dehydrogenase activity-to-Cmic-ratio were positively correlated. The low Cmic-values and the enhanced activities in the contaminated soils are suggested as a response of microbial communities to environmental stress or ecosystem disturbances. The apparently missing detrimental effects of the alkaline deposits on soil microbial activities are probably due to the low bioavailability of contaminants in the calcareous soil.