Electrochemical remediation of phenanthrene from contaminated kaolinite

In this work a two-stage process combining soil electrokinetic remediation and liquid electrochemical oxidation for the remediation of polluted soil with organic compounds has been developed and evaluated using phenanthrene-spiked kaolinite. Application of an unenhanced electrokinetic process resulted in negligible removal of phenanthrene from the kaolinite sample. Addition of co-solvents and electrolyte to the processing fluid used in the electrode chambers enhanced phenanthrene desorption from the kaolinite matrix and favoured electro-osmotic flow. Near-complete removal of phenanthrene was achieved using Na₂SO₄ and ethanol in the processing fluid. Phenanthrene was transported towards the cathode chamber where it was collected. The cathodic solution containing the pollutant was treated by electrochemical oxidation; complete degradation of phenanthrene occurred after 9 h using Na₂SO₄ as electrolyte.     

Phenanthrene uptake by Medicago sativa L. under the influence of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus

Phenanthrene uptake by Medicago sativa L. was investigated under the influence of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. Inoculation of lucerne with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus etunicatum L. resulted in higher phenanthrene accumulation in the roots and lower accumulation in the shoots compared to non-mycorrhizal controls. Studies on sorption and desorption of phenanthrene by roots and characterization of heterogeneity of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal roots using solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹³C NMR) demonstrated that increased aromatic components due to mycorrhizal inoculation resulted in enhanced phenanthrene uptake by the roots but lower translocation to the shoots. Direct visualization using two-photon excitation microscopy (TPEM) revealed higher phenanthrene accumulation in epidermal cells of roots and lower transport into the root interior and stem in mycorrhizal plants than in non-mycorrhizal controls. These results provide some insight into the mechanisms by which arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation may influence the uptake of organic contaminants by plants.     

Influence of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin on the biodegradation of C-phenanthrene and C-hexadecane in soil

Soil was spiked with [9-¹⁴C]phenanthrene and [1-¹⁴C]hexadecane at 50 mg kg⁻¹ and aged for 1, 25, 50, 100 and 250 d. At each time point, the microcosms were amended with aqueous solutions of cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) at a range of concentrations (0-40 mM). Mineralisation assays and aqueous HP-β-CD extractions were performed to assess the effect of the amendments on microbial degradation. The results showed that amendments had no significant impact on the microbial degradation of either of the ¹⁴C-contaminants. Further, HP-β-CD extractions were correlated with the mineralisation of the target chemicals in each of the soil conditions. It was found that the HP-β-CD extraction was able to predict mineralisation in soils which had not been amended with cyclodextrin; however, in the soils containing the HP-β-CD, there was no predictive relationship. Under the conditions of this study, the introduction of HP-β-CD into soils did not enhance the biodegradation of the organic contaminants.     

Environmentally friendly assessment of organic compound bioaccessibility using sub-critical water

The evaluation of microbial availability of contaminants is of high importance for better reflecting the processes governing contaminant fate in soil and for establishing the risk associated with contaminated sites. A sub-critical water extraction technique was assessed for its potential to determine the microbially degradable fraction of [¹⁴C]phenanthrene-associated activity in two dissimilar soils at three different ageing times (14, 28 and 49 days). For the majority of determinations, no significant (p > 0.05) difference between sub-critical water-extracted ¹⁴C-activity at 160 °C and the fraction mineralized by catabolically active Pseudomonas sp. was observed. Collectively, the results suggested that the sub-critical water extraction technique was an appropriate technique for predicting the biodegradable fraction of phenanthrene-associated ¹⁴C-activity in dissimilar soils following increasing soil-contaminant contact time.     

Spatial uncoupling of biodegradation, soil respiration, and PAH concentration in a creosote contaminated soil

Hotspots and coldspots of concentration and biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) marginally overlapped at the 0.5-100 m scale in a creosote contaminated soil in southern Sweden, suggesting that concentration and biodegradation had little spatial co-variation. Biodegradation was substantial and its spatial variability considerable and highly irregular, but it had no spatial autocorrelation. The soil concentration of PAHs explained only 20-30% of the variance of their biodegradation. Soil respiration was spatially autocorrelated. The spatial uncoupling between biodegradation and soil respiration seemed to be governed by the aging of PAHs in the soil, since biodegradation of added ¹³C phenanthrene covaried with both soil respiration and microbial biomass. The latter two were also correlated with high concentrations of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) that are common in gram-negative bacteria. However, several of the hotspots of biodegradation coincided with hotspots for the distribution of a PLFA indicative of fungal biomass.     

Effects of humic acid coatings on phenanthrene sorption to black carbon

Black carbon (BC) can strongly adsorb hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs).The HOC sorption to coated BC could be attenuated in soil and sediment compared with that of the parent BC.To study the potential causes of the sorption attenuation,humic acid (HA) and BC were isolated.Phenanthrene (PHE) was selected as the representative of HOCs.BC was coated with the precipitated HA.The PHE sorption to the HA-coated BC was determined.The HA coatings on BC could result in the significant sorption attenuation of PHE to BC.The attenuation varied in different HA origin and was positively correlated to the aromaticity of HA.The attenuation could be explained by the direct competition between HA and PHE for the available sorption sites on BC and the reduction of the available sorption sites as a result of the pore blockage of BC caused by the HA coatings.Therefore,the HA coatings on BC was one potential cause of the attenuation of HOC sorption to BC in soil and sediment.     

Effect of surfactant on phenanthrene metabolic kinetics by Citrobacter sp. SA01

To attain a better understanding of the effects of surfactants on the metabolic kinetics of hydrophobic organic compounds, the biodegradation of phenanthrene by Citrobacter sp. SA01 was investigated in a batch experiment containing Tween 80, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate and liquid mineral salt medium. The Monod model was modified to effectively describe the partition, phenanthrene biodegradation and biopolymer production. The results showed that Tween 80 and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate （each at 50 rag/L） enhanced phenanthrene metabolism and poly-β-hydroxybutyrate production as indicated by the increasing amounts of intermediates Coy 17.2% to 47.9%）, and percentages of poly-β- hydroxybutyrate （by 107.3% and 33.1%） within the cell dry weight when compared to their absence. The modified Monod model was capable of predicting microbial growth, phenanthrene depletion and biopolymer production. Furthermore, the Monod kinetic coefficients were largely determined by the surfactant-enhanced partition, suggesting that partitioning is a critical process in surfactant-enhanced bioremediation of hydro- phobic organic compounds.     

Characterization of a phenanthrene-degrading methanogenic community

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) often occur in oil-contaminated soil, coke wastewater and domestic sludge; however, associated PAH degraders in these environments are not clear. Here we evaluated phenanthrene degradation potential in the mixed samples of above environments, and obtained a methanogenic community with different microbial profile compared to those from sediments. Phenanthrene was efficiently degraded (1.26 mg/L/d) and nonstoichiometric amount of methane was produced simultaneously. 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated that bacterial populations were mainly associated with Comamonadaceae Nocardiaceae and Thermodesulfobiaceae, and that methanogenic archaea groups were dominated by Methanobacterium and Methanothermobacter. Substances such as hexane, hexadecane, benzene and glucose showed the most positive effects on phenanthrene degradation. Substrate utilization tests indicated that this culture could not utilize other PAHs. These analyses could offer us some suggestions on the putative phenanthrene-degrading microbes in such environments, and might help us develop strategies for the removal of PAHs from contaminated soil and sludge.

Open image in new window

     

Efficacy of in-situ for the remediation of PAH contaminated soils

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of environmental concern because many PAHs are either carcinogens or potential carcinogens. Petroleum products are a major source of PAHs. The occurrence of PAH contamination is widespread and novel treatment technologies for the remediation of contaminated soils are necessary.Ozone has been found to be extremely useful for the degradation of PAHs in soils. For these compounds, the reaction with molecular ozone appears to be the more important degradation pathway. Greater than 95% removal of phenanthrene was achieved with an ozonation time of 2.3 h at an ozone flux of 250 mg h⁻¹. After 4.0 h of treatment at an ozone flux of 600 mg h⁻¹, 91 % of the pyrene was removed. We have also found that the more hydrophobic PAHs (e.g. chrysene) react more slowly than would be expected on the basis of their reactivity with ozone, suggesting that partitioning of the contaminant into soil organic matter may reduce the reactivity of the compound. Even so, after 4 h of exposure to ozone, the chrysene concentration in a contaminated Metea soil was reduced from 100 to 50 mg kg⁻¹ .Ozone has been found to be readily transported through columns packed with a number of geological materials, including Ottawa sand, Metea soil, Borden aquifer material and Wurtsmith aquifer material. All of these geological materials exerted a limited (finite) ozone demand, i.e. the rate of ozone degradation in soil columns is very slow after the ozone demand is met. Moisture content was found to increase the ozone demand, most likely owing to the dissolution of gaseous ozone into the pore water. As once the initial ozone demand is met, little degradation of ozone is observed, it should be possible to achieve ozone penetration to a considerable distance away from the injection well, suggesting that in-situ ozonation is a feasible means of treating uncontaminated unsaturated soils. This is substantiated by two field studies where in-situ ozonation was apparently successful at remediating the sites.