Application of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria for enhancing bioavailability and phytoextraction of cadmium (Cd) from polluted soil

In this study, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), Bacillus megaterium, were used to enhance Cd bioavailability and phytoextractability of Cd from contaminated soils. This strain showed a potential for directly solubilizing phosphorous from soils more than 10 folds greater than the control without inoculation. The results of pot experiments revealed that inoculation with B. megaterium significantly increased the extent of Cd accumulation in Brassica juncea and Abutilon theophrasti by two folds relative to the uninoculated control. The maximum Cd concentrations due to inoculation were 1.6 and 1.8 mg Cd g⁻¹ plant for B. juncea and A. theophrasti after 10 wk, respectively. The total biomass of A. theophrasti was not significantly promoted by the inoculation treatment, yet the total biomass of B. juncea increased from 0.087 to 0.448 g. It is also worth to mention that B. juncea predominantly accumulates Cd in its stems (39%) whereas A. theophrasti accumulates it in its leaves (68%) after 10 wk. The change of the Cd speciation indicated that inoculation of B. megaterium as PSB increased the bioavailabilty of Cd and consequently enhanced its uptake by plants. The present study may provide a new insight for improving phytoremediation using PSB in the Cd-contaminated soils.     

耐盐石油降解菌性能及降解条件优化

从冀东油田钻井废液中筛选分离出耐盐石油降解菌Virgibacillus sp.(简称SJ菌),其在高含盐条件下对石油具有较好的降解效果,高达56.12%左右。考察了pH值、盐度、不同N和P形态等因素对SJ菌降解石油效果的影响。结果表明:SJ菌有较宽的pH值适应范围(pH值为6～10)和较好的耐盐能力(0.5%～20%),在pH值为9及NaCl质量浓度为5%时对石油类降解效果最好,其最佳利用N源和P源分别为(NH2)2CO和KH2PO4,该研究为油田高含盐含油废液处理提供了一条新途径。     

油田污水处理水质影响因素与改善措施

随着油田开发阶段的延长,污水处理系统能力出现不足,排污系统和日常排污以及收油是影响油田污水处理水质的重要因素。针对这些因素提出利用人工湿地对洗井、修井污水进行处理,减轻水处理站压力,通过合理加药提高除油罐除油效率,从含油污水进口进行杀菌,防止对管线设备的腐蚀,防止细菌菌体堵塞过滤器,过滤后根据细菌监测结果再次进行杀菌,保证出水合格等改善措施。     

稠油降解菌的筛选、鉴定与菌群构建

分别以烷烃、芳烃、胶质沥青质为唯一碳源,从稠油污染过的土壤里分离、筛选可培养的降解菌,将16株组合构建SL-16稠油降解菌群,通过室内摇瓶实验测得该菌群在最佳条件下对陈庄油田稠油降解率可达68%,其适宜的生长及降解温度为35～45℃,pH值为7.0～9.0,含盐量为4 000～14 000 mg/L,接种量为2%,稠油...     

球形红细菌好氧降解氯代苯研究

采用光合细菌球形红细菌在好氧条件下对氯代苯进行生物降解.结果表明,氯代苯不能作为球形红细菌生长的惟一碳源和能源,球形红细菌好氧降解氯代苯是在适宜碳源存在下以共代谢的方式进行;根据分析细胞提取液中双加氧酶活性和代谢中间产物,推断出其降解机制为邻位裂解途径,按先开环再脱氯过程进行,邻苯二酚1,2-双加氧酶的活性可以通过氯代...     

畜禽养殖污水中高效氨氮降解菌的筛选、鉴定及生长条件研究

从养殖污水中分离纯化得到1株高效氨氮降解菌,对其进行形态特征、生理生化、16S rDNA序列分析以及最佳生长条件研究,并将菌株投入养殖污水降解污水中的氨氮。结果表明：AN4菌株在NH4＋-N初始质量浓度为50 mg/L的条件下,24 h内的氨氮降解率为92.5%;初步鉴定该菌株为苍白杆菌属（Ochrobactrum sp.）,菌株的16S rDNA序列在Gen-Bank的登录号为GU345782;AN4菌株在装液量为60.64 mL,pH为7.06,葡萄糖为6.0 g/L的条件下培养,菌株的降解率可以达到94.28%;菌株对养殖污水中氨氮的降解率为12.3%。苍白杆菌菌属能够降畜禽养殖污水中的氨氮还未见报道,AN4菌株的筛选获得为生物降解养殖污水中的氨氮又提供了一种新型菌株。     

Importance of sulfate reducing bacteria in mercury methylation and demethylation in periphyton from Bolivian Amazon region

Sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) are important mercury methylators in sediments, but information on mercury methylators in other compartments is ambiguous. To investigate SRB involvement in methylation in Amazonian periphyton, the relationship between Hg methylation potential and SRB (Desulfobacteraceae, Desulfobulbaceae and Desulfovibrionaceae) abundance in Eichhornia crassipes and Polygonum densiflorum root associated periphyton was examined. Periphyton subsamples of each macrophyte were amended with electron donors (lactate, acetate and propionate) or inhibitors (molybdate) of sulfate reduction to create differences in SRB subgroup abundance, which was measured by quantitative real-time PCR with primers specific for the 16S rRNA gene. Mercury methylation and demethylation potentials were determined by a stable isotope tracer technique using ²⁰⁰HgCl and CH₃²⁰²HgCl, respectively. Relative abundance of Desulfobacteraceae (<0.01-12.5%) and Desulfovibrionaceae (0.01-6.8%) were both highly variable among samples and subsamples, but a significant linear relationship (p < 0.05) was found between Desulfobacteraceae abundance and net methylmercury formation among treatments of the same macrophyte periphyton and among all P. densiflorum samples, suggesting that Desulfobacteraceae bacteria are the most important mercury methylators among SRB families. Yet, molybdate only partially inhibited mercury methylation potentials, suggesting the involvement of other microorganisms as well. The response of net methylmercury production to the different electron donors and molybdate was highly variable (3-1104 pg g⁻¹ in 12 h) among samples, as was the net formation in control samples (17-164 pg g⁻¹ in 12 h). This demonstrates the importance of community variability and complexity of microbial interactions for the overall methylmercury production in periphyton and their response to external stimulus.     

Tracking Cholera in Coastal Regions Using Satellite Observations1

Jutla, Antarpreet S., Ali S. Akanda, and Shafiqul Islam, 2010. Tracking Cholera in Coastal Regions Using Satellite Observations. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(4): 651-662. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00448.x Abstract: Cholera remains a significant health threat across the globe. The pattern and magnitude of the seven global pandemics suggest that cholera outbreaks primarily originate in coastal regions and then spread inland through secondary means. Cholera bacteria show strong association with plankton abundance in coastal ecosystems. This review study investigates the relationship(s) between cholera incidence and coastal processes and explores utility of using remote sensing data to track coastal plankton blooms, using chlorophyll as a surrogate variable for plankton abundance, and subsequent cholera outbreaks. Most studies over the last several decades have primarily focused on the microbiological and epidemiological understanding of cholera outbreaks. Accurate identification and mechanistic understanding of large scale climatic, geophysical, and oceanic processes governing cholera-chlorophyll relationship is important for developing cholera prediction models. Development of a holistic understanding of these processes requires long and reliable chlorophyll datasets, which are beginning to be available through satellites. We have presented a schematic pathway and a modeling framework that relate cholera with various hydroclimatic and oceanic variables for understanding disease dynamics using the latest advances in remote sensing. Satellite data, with its unprecedented spatial and temporal coverage, have potentials to monitor coastal processes and track cholera outbreaks in endemic regions.     

Prioritisation of farm scale remediation efforts for reducing losses of nutrients and faecal indicator organisms to waterways: a case study of New Zealand dairy farming

The international competitiveness of the New Zealand (NZ) dairy industry is built on low cost clover-based systems and a favourable temperate climate that enables cows to graze pastures mostly all year round. Whilst this grazed pasture farming system is very efficient at producing milk, it has also been identified as a significant source of nutrients (N and P) and faecal bacteria which have contributed to water quality degradation in some rivers and lakes. In response to these concerns, a tool-box of mitigation measures that farmers can apply on farm to reduce environmental emissions has been developed. Here we report the potential reduction in nutrient losses and costs to farm businesses arising from the implementation of individual best management practices (BMPs) within this tool-box. Modelling analysis was carried out for a range of BMPs targeting pollutant source reduction on case-study dairy farms, located in four contrasting catchments. Due to the contrasting physical resources and management systems present in the four dairy catchments evaluated, the effectiveness and costs of BMPs varied. Farm managements that optimised soil Olsen P levels or used nitrification inhibitors were observed to result in win-win outcomes whereby nutrient losses were consistently reduced and farm profitability was increased in three of the four case study farming systems. Other BMPs generally reduced nutrient and faecal bacteria losses but at a small cost to the farm business. Our analysis indicates that there are a range of technological measures that can deliver substantial reductions in nutrient losses to waterways from dairy farms, whilst not increasing or even reducing other environmental impacts (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions and energy use). Their implementation will first require clearly defined environmental goals for the catchment/water body that is to be protected. Secondly, given that the major sources of water pollutants often differed between catchments, it is important that BMPs are matched to the physical resources and management systems of the existing farm businesses.     

Influence of plants on the reduction of hexavalent chromium in wetland sediments

This work addresses the effect that plants (Typha latifolia and Carex lurida) have on the reduction of Cr(VI) in wetland sediments. Experiments were carried out using tubular microcosms, where chemical species were monitored along the longitudinal flow axis. Cr(VI) removal was enhanced by the presence of plants. This is explained by a decrease in the redox potential promoted by organic root exudates released by plants. Under these conditions sulfate reduction is enhanced, increasing the concentration of sulfide species in the sediment pore water, which reduce Cr(VI). Evapotranspiration induced by plants also contributed to enhance the reduction of Cr(VI) by concentrating all chemical species in the sediment pore water. Both exudates release and evapotranspiration have a diurnal component that affects Cr(VI) reduction. Concentration profiles were fitted to a kinetic model linking sulfide and Cr(VI) concentrations corrected for evapotranspiration. This expression captures both the longitudinal as well as the diurnal Cr(VI) concentration profiles.