Growth management of white-rot fungus Phlebia brevispora improved degradation of high-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The High-Effective Catalytic Degradation of Benzo[a]pyrene by Mn-Corrolazine Regulated by Oriented External Electric Field: Insight From DFT Study

The degradation of BaP into hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene by Mn-corrolazine and its regulation by an oriented external electronic field (OEEF) were systematically studied using first-principle calculations. Extensive density function calculations showed that the degradation of BaP into hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene by Mn-corrolazine occurs via a three-step process in the absence of OEEF, in which a more toxic and stable epoxide intermediate is generated. However, upon application of OEEF along the intrinsic Mn-O reaction axis, the degradation of BaP into hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene is greatly simplified. The negative charge on the terminal O atom of Mn-OO corrolazine increases with an increase in the OEEF intensity. As the intensity of the OEEF increases over 0.004 a.u., the negatively charged terminal O atom has the ability to directly abstract the positively charged H atom of BaP and the degradation of BaP into hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene can be completed via a one-step process, avoiding the production of more toxic epoxide intermediates.

Effects of Fire Phoenix (a genotype mixture of Fesctuca arundinecea L.) and Mycobacterium sp. on the degradation of PAHs and bacterial community in soil

Phytomicrobial remediation technology of PAH-contaminated soils has drawn great attention due to its low-cost, eco-friendly, and effective characteristics, but the mechanism underlying the removal of PAHs by rhizosphere in wastewater-irrigated soil is so far not clear. To evaluate the dissipation of PAHs and the shifts of bacterial community structure under plant-microorganism symbiotic system in an agricultural soil, a rhizo-box experiment with Fire Phoenix (a genotype mixture of Fesctuca arundinecea L.) or/and inoculated Mycobacterium sp. was conducted for 60 days. The changes of bacterial community structure and the contents of PAHs were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. The results showed that the removal rate of PAHs in phytomicrobial combined treatment was 53.7% after 60 days. The PAH-degraders were dominated by Microbacterium sp., Sphingomonas sp., Mycobacterium sp., and Flavobacterium sp. The plant of Fire Phoenix induced the appearance of Pseudomonas sp. and TM7 phylum sp. oral clone. The highest of bacterial diversity index was observed in unrhizosphere soils (MR-), rather than that in rhizosphere soils (MR+). In combination, phytomicrobial combined treatment of Fire Phoenix and Mycobacterium strain enhanced the removal rate of PAHs and changed the structure of bacterial community and bacterial diversity. Bacterial community has great effect on PAH degradation in PAH-contaminated soil from the wastewater-irrigated site. Our study can provide support information for PAH degradation enhancement by the synergetic effect of Fire Phoenix and Mycobacterium sp.

Challenges and Current Status of the Biological Treatment of PFAS-Contaminated Soils

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCs) which are of current concern as they are linked to a myriad of adverse health effects in mammals. They can be found in drinking water, rivers, groundwater, wastewater, household dust, and soils. In this review, the current challenge and status of bioremediation of PFAs in soils was examined. While several technologies to remove PFAS from soil have been developed, including adsorption, filtration, thermal treatment, chemical oxidation/reduction and soil washing, these methods are expensive, impractical for in situ treatment, use high pressures and temperatures, with most resulting in toxic waste. Biodegradation has the potential to form the basis of a cost-effective, large scale in situ remediation strategy for PFAS removal from soils. Both fungal and bacterial strains have been isolated that are capable of degrading PFAS; however, to date, information regarding the mechanisms of degradation of PFAS is limited. Through the application of new technologies in microbial ecology, such as stable isotope probing, metagenomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics there is the potential to examine and identify the biodegradation of PFAS, a process which will underpin the development of any robust PFAS bioremediation technology.

Toxicity evaluation and biodegradation of phenanthrene by laccase from Trametes polyzona PBURU 12

The newly isolated Trametes polyzona PBURU 12 demonstrated a high tolerance and potential for the degradation of phenanthrene. The fungal isolate was able to tolerate 100 ppm of phenanthrene with 45% relative growth. The crude laccase produced by Trametes polyzona PBURU 12 was able to degrade phenanthrene by up to 98% within 24 h. The degradation metabolites showed the absence of toxic compounds. Microbial viability tests using E. coli and B. subtilis revealed that the treated phenanthrene was less toxic than untreated phenanthrene. Phytotoxicity and genotoxicity tests, using Vigna radiata and Allium cepa, indicated that the treated phenanthrene was less toxic to the plants. No mutagenic activity was found in the Ames test. The crude laccase from Trametes polyzona PBURU 12 was demonstrated as a potential tool for the biodegradation of PAHs (phenanthrene), with low toxic effects after the degradation.