The lack of microbial degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from coal-rich soils

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coal preparation plant products: A contributor to environmental pollution

Coal and coal gangue are petrogenic sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which cause adverse impacts on the environment. Raw coal, cleaned coal, slime, slack gangue, and lump gangue from the Pingshuo No. 1 Coal Preparation Plant, China, were analyzed to determine the concentrations and compositions of 16 priority parent PAHs (16PAHs) and their alkylated derivatives (aPAHs). The ∑16PAH and ∑aPAH concentrations in the samples ranged from 18.7 to 139.2 mg/kg and 22.2 to 262.3 mg/kg, respectively, and ranked as follows: cleaned coal > raw coal > slime > lump gangue > slack gangue. Coal gangues had a higher proportion and lower degree of alkylation of 4-6-ring PAHs than coals. A summary analysis of references related to coal and coal gangue diagnostic ratios showed that their ratios could not be used to differentiate them from other PAH sources, indicating that the release of particulate coal and coal gangue would increase the uncertainty of environmental PAH identification results. The diagnostic ratios of coal gangue were relatively concentrated, and comparing the ratio distribution could reveal the coal gangue source PAHs. The toxicity risk of slack gangue was higher than that of lump gangue based on the benzo[a]pyrene-equivalent concentration; hence, more attention should be given to its escape to the environment.

Contaminants from a former Croatian coal sludge dictate the structure of microbiota in the estuarine (Raša Bay) sediment and soil

Introduction

Croatian superhigh-organic-sulfur Raša coal had been mined for nearly 400 years. The release of hazardous trace elements (HTEs) and toxic organic pollutants (TOPs) into the local environment by coal mining, preparation, and combustion activities has resulted in pollution.

Methods

In this study, the diversity and composition of microbial communities in estuarine sediment and soil samples as well as community function responses to the pollutants were investigated.

Results

The results showed that PAH degradation does occur following 60 years of natural attenuation, the location is still heavily polluted by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and HTEs. Microbial analyses have shown that high concentrations of PAHs have reduced the diversity and abundance of microbial communities. The pollution exerted an adverse, long-term impact on the microbial community structure and function in the brackish aquatic ecosystem. Microorganisms associated with the degradation of PAHs and sulfur-containing compounds have been enriched although the diversity and abundance of the microbial community have reduced. Fungi which are believed to be the main PAH degrader may play an important role initially, but the activity remains lower thereafter. It is the high concentrations of coal-derived PAHs, rather than HTEs, that have reduced the diversity and abundance of microbial communities and shaped the structure of the local microbiota.

Discussion

This study could provide a basis for the monitoring and restoration of ecosystems impacted by coal mining activities considering the expected decommission of a large number of coal plants on a global scale in the coming years due to growing global climate change concerns.

Bioaccessibility and Toxicity Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Two Contaminated Sites

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous soil contaminants, and their bioaccessibility determines their environmental risks in contaminated land. In the present study, the residual concentrations of PAHs in the soils of two industrial sites were determined, and their bioaccessibility was estimated by the hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin extraction (HPCD) extraction method. The results showed heavy PAH contamination at both site S1 (0.38-3342.5 mg kg^-1) and site S2 (0.2-138.18 mg kg^-1), of which high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs (4-, 5-, and 6-ring compounds) accounted for approximately 80%. The average bioaccessibility of PAHs at sites S1 and S2 was 52.02% and 29.28%, respectively. The bioaccessibility of certain PAH compounds decreased with increasing ring number of the molecule. Lower PAH bioaccessibility was detected in loamy and silty soil textures than in sandy soil. Moreover, among the soil properties, the dissolved organic matter, total organic carbon, total potassium, and total manganese concentrations had significant effects on the bioaccessibility of PAHs. The toxicity analysis showed that the composition and bioaccessibility of PAHs could affect their potential toxicity in soil. We suggest that bioaccessibility should be taken into consideration when assessing the toxicity of PAHs in soil, and more attention should be given to low-ring PAHs with high bioaccessibility.

Construction and Degradation Performance Study of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Degrading Bacterium Consortium

PAHs are widely distributed in the environment and pose a serious threat to ecological security and human health. The P&A (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Alcaligenes faecalis) bacterium consortium obtained in this study comes from oily sludge and is reused for the degradation of PAHs mixture in oily sludge. Few articles pay attention to the PAHs mixture in oily sludge and reuse the bacterium consortium for its degradation. The PAHs solution degradation efficient of P&A bacterial consortium under different environmental conditions, bioaugmentations, and exogenous stimulations were studied by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The result shows that, after 8 days of degradation under 35 °C, pH 7, with 5% (volume percent) of the inoculation amount, the degradation rate of NAP, PHE, and PYR solution could higher than 90%, 80%, and 70%, respectively. The additional crude oil could further improve the NAP, PHE, and PYR degradation efficiency. The minimum inhibitory concentration of Cu2+, Zn2+, and Pb2+ to bacterium were 2.002, 17.388, and 9.435 mM, respectively. The addition of surfactants had negative or limited positive effect on the PAHs degradation rate. Furthermore, the average degradation rates of NAP, PHE, and PYR, in oily sludge of local petroleum polluted area by P&A bacterial consortium, could all reach above 80%. Based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry test results before and after incubation, P&A bacterial consortium also provides more opportunities for other organic compounds’ degradation.

Impact factor assessment of the uptake and accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by plant leaves: Morphological characteristics have the greatest impact

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have toxic, teratogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects on living organisms. Plants can function as pollutant bioindicators and bioaccumulators due to their wide surface distribution and specific responses to atmospheric pollutants. However, various plants exhibit significant differences in their capacities to accumulate PAHs. At present, research has mainly focused on the effects of leaf morphology and physiological characteristics, and few studies have evaluated the effects of the leaf surface on PAH accumulation. We aimed to assess the factors impacting the uptake and accumulation of PAHs by leaves. We selected 8 common tree species in Shanghai, China, and used supercritical fluid extraction technology to determine the content of PAHs in their leaves. Specific measurements of leaf area, width/length, wax content, and stomatal density were applied to index the morphological and physiological characteristics; surface roughness, surface free energy, polar components, and dispersion components were compiled into an adsorption performance index. Principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA) were used to assess the effects of different leaf characteristics on PAH accumulation. We found that the mean concentrations of ΣPAHs ranged from 300 to 2000 ng·g^-1 and that the proportions of different benzene rings were significantly different among the different tree species. Leaf morphology and physiological characteristics had more significant effects compared to surface adsorption. CCA showed a significant negative correlation between leaf morphological characteristics and wax content, but had no significant correlation with surface adsorption. Low-molecular-weight PAHs were found to be mainly affected by the morphological characteristics, while medium- and high-molecular-weight PAHs were influenced by wax content and adsorption. Our conclusions provide a theoretical basis for the establishment of a reliable plant atmosphere-monitoring system and a method for screening tree species with strong PAH adsorption capacity.

Identification of polar transformation products and high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soil following bioremediation

Bioremediation is a technique commonly used to reduce the toxicity associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soils. However, the efficacy of bioremedial applications is evaluated based on the removal of a subset of parent (or unsubstituted) PAHs and does not incorporate toxic polar transformation products or the more mutagenic high molecular weight PAHs (MW≥302amu or MW302-PAHs). Previously, an effects-directed analysis approach was used to assess the effect of bioremediation on the toxicity of a coal tar-contaminated soil. Increased genotoxicity and developmental toxicity was measured postbioremedation in the more polar soil extract fractions, as compared to the less polar fractions where the targeted PAHs eluted, and could not be attributed to the 88 target PAHs analyzed for (including selected oxygen-containing PAHs). In this study, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight and liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to characterize transformation products in the soil extract fractions identified as toxic, previously. Additionally, the degradation of 12MW302-PAHs, picene (MW=278) and coronene (MW=300) were evaluated following bioremediation. Non-targeted analysis resulted in the tentative identification of 10 peaks with increased intensity postbioremediation (based on mass spectral library matching and fragmentation patterns from >5000 candidate peaks in the soil extracts). Several of these compounds contained oxygen, suggesting they would be relatively polar. MW302-PAHs were not significantly degraded during bioremediation, suggesting that the carcinogenic potential associated with these PAHs might remain unchanged. The results of this study suggest that polar transformation products, and MW302-PAHs, should be considered for realistic risk assessment of bioremediated soils.

Bioremediation of PAH-contamined soils: Consequences on formation and degradation of polar-polycyclic aromatic compounds and microbial community abundance

A bioslurry batch experiment was carried out over five months on three polycyclic aromatic compound (PAC) contaminated soils to study the PAC (PAH and polar-PAC) behavior during soil incubation and to evaluate the impact of PAC contamination on the abundance of microbial communities and functional PAH-degrading populations. Organic matter characteristics and reactivity, assessed through solvent extractable organic matter and PAC contents, and soil organic matter mineralization were monitored during 5 months. Total bacteria and fungi, and PAH-ring hydroxylating dioxygenase genes were quantified. Results showed that PAHs and polar-PACs were degraded with different degradation dynamics. Differences in degradation rates were observed among the three soils depending on PAH distribution and availability. Overall, low molecular weight compounds were preferentially degraded. Degradation selectivity between isomers and structurally similar compounds was observed which could be used to check the efficiency of bioremediation processes. Bacterial communities were dominant over fungi and were most likely responsible for PAC degradation. Abundance of PAH-degrading bacteria increased during incubations, but their proportion in the bacterial communities tended to decrease. The accumulation of some oxygenated-PACs during the bioslurry experiment underlines the necessity to monitor these compounds during application of remediation treatment on PAH contaminated soils.

Management Options for Contaminated Urban Soils to Reduce Public Exposure and Maintain Soil Health

Soil management in urban areas faces dual challenges of reducing public exposure to soil contaminants, such as lead (Pb) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and maintaining soil function. This study evaluated three management options for an urban lot in Cleveland, OH, containing 185 to 5197 mg Pb kg and 0.28 to 5.50 mg benzo(a)pyrene kg. Treatment options included: (i) cap the site with a soil blend containing compost and beneficially reused dredged sediments, (ii) mix compost with the soil, and (iii) mix compost and sediments with the soil. The soil blend cap reduced surface soil Pb to 12.4 mg Pb kg and benzo(a)pyrene content to 0.99 ± 0.41 mg kg. Aggregate stability for 2- to 0.25-mm aggregates in the soil blend cap was 13% compared with the 38% aggregate stability in the urban soil. Mixing compost with the soil reduced benzo(a)pyrene content, but sample variability indicated that elevated spots likely remained exposed at the surface. Compost addition diluted soil Pb and increased aggregate stability to 60%. Mixing compost and sediments with the soil was the only management option accomplishing both management goals of reducing surface soil contaminants and maintaining soil health. For this combined mixing option, aggregate stability was 37%, soil Pb was 15 mg kg, and benzo(a)pyrene was 0.99 ± 0.09 mg kg. Food-grade oil addition did not increase benzo(a)pyrene degradation. Future studies should evaluate how incorporating soil blends in different soil types with a range of contaminants may offer a suitable long-term management option for urban soil contaminants.

Lignin peroxidase functionalities and prospective applications

Ligninolytic extracellular enzymes, including lignin peroxidase, are topical owing to their high redox potential and prospective industrial applications. The prospective applications of lignin peroxidase span through sectors such as biorefinery, textile, energy, bioremediation, cosmetology, and dermatology industries. The litany of potentials attributed to lignin peroxidase is occasioned by its versatility in the degradation of xenobiotics and compounds with both phenolic and non-phenolic constituents. Over the years, ligninolytic enzymes have been studied however; research on lignin peroxidase seems to have been lagging when compared to other ligninolytic enzymes which are extracellular in nature including laccase and manganese peroxidase. This assertion becomes more pronounced when the application of lignin peroxidase is put into perspective. Consequently, a succinct documentation of the contemporary functionalities of lignin peroxidase and, some prospective applications of futuristic relevance has been advanced in this review. Some articulated applications include delignification of feedstock for ethanol production, textile effluent treatment and dye decolourization, coal depolymerization, treatment of hyperpigmentation, and skin-lightening through melanin oxidation. Prospective application of lignin peroxidase in skin-lightening functions through novel mechanisms, hence, it holds high value for the cosmetics sector where it may serve as suitable alternative to hydroquinone; a potent skin-lightening agent whose safety has generated lots of controversy and concern.

Lead and PAHs contamination of an old shooting range: A case study with a holistic approach

Soil pollution at firing ranges is an issue of growing importance, due to the accumulation in soils of contaminants derived from ammunition and clay targets. The concentration of Pb and PAHs was determined in five soils of an abandoned shooting range in Galicia (northwest Spain), and an ecotoxicological characterization was performed in order to obtain an assessment of risks. Therefore, the retention capacity of soils was assessed using test organisms of different trophic levels, and the role of soils as habitat for soil invertebrates was assessed by reproduction tests and bioaccumulation assays with earthworms. The sum of 15 PAHs ranged between 38 and 360mgkg^-1, which exceed, together with Pb (160-720mgkg^-1), the Galician generic reference value for urban and sporting field soils. Bioaccumulation in E. andrei showed contents up to 104,000μgPbkg^-1_dw, and up to 645μgPAHskg^-1_fw. High contents of Pb and PAHs in soil samples and in Eisenia andrei whole body, caused a reduction in the number of juveniles produced, whereas, Vibrio fischeri, Raphidocelis subcapitata and Daphnia magna displayed a slight toxic response to the soil elutriates tested. Therefore, the function of these soils to retain contaminants seemed not compromised, probably due to the high organic matter content and pH values, which are weakly acidic. The habitat function was affected, indicating that soil solution is not the only route of exposure to contaminants to E. andrei. The integration of chemical and ecotoxicological lines of evidence give rise to high risks values, restricting the use of these areas, and pointing for risks to surrounding ecosystems due to possible trophic transferences. The calculation of risks using the chemical and ecotoxicological data, required by Spanish legislation, could be a good approach to communicate with those responsible and/or involved in the management of contaminated sites.

Propane biostimulation in biologically activated carbon (BAC) selects for bacterial clades adept at degrading persistent water pollutants

Biologically activated carbon (BAC) can be used in both municipal water and hazardous waste remediation applications to enhance contaminant attenuation in water; however, questions remain about how selective pressures can be applied to increase the capabilities of microbial communities to attenuate recalcitrant contaminants. Here we utilized flow-through laboratory columns seeded with municipally derived BAC and exposed to water from a local drinking water facility to query how propane biostimulation impacts resident microorganisms. Ecological analyses using high throughput phylogenetic sequencing revealed that while propane did not increase the total number of microbiological species, it did select for bacterial communities that were distinct from those without propane. Temporal extractions demonstrated that microbial succession was rapid and established in approximately 2 months. A higher density of propane monooxygenase genes and bacterial clades including the Pelosinus and Dechloromonas genera suggest an enhanced potential for the degradation of persistent water pollutants in propane-stimulated systems. However, the ecological selective pressure was exhausted in less than 15 cm of transit in this flow-through scenario (25 hour retention) indicating a pronounced zonation that could limit the size of a biostimulated zone and require physical mixing, hydraulic manipulation, or other strategies to increase the spatial impact of biostimulation in flow-through scenarios.

Correlations between PAH bioavailability, degrading bacteria, and soil characteristics during PAH biodegradation in five diffusely contaminated dissimilar soils

The natural biodegradation of seven polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by native microorganisms was studied in five soils from Normandy (France) from diffusely polluted areas, which can also pose a problem in terms of surfaces and amounts of contaminated soils. Bioavailability tests using cyclodextrin-based extractions were performed. The natural degradation of low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs was not strongly correlated to their bioavailability due to their sorption to geosorbents. Conversely, the very low degradation of high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs was partly correlated to their poor availability, due to their sorption on complexes of organic matter and kaolinites or smectites. A principal component analysis allowed us to distinguish between the respective degradation behaviors of LMW and HMW PAHs. LMW PAHs were degraded in less than 2-3 months and were strongly influenced by the relative percentage of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria over total bacteria in soils. HMW PAHs were not significantly degraded, not only because they were less bioavailable but also because of a lack of degrading microorganisms. Benzo[a]pyrene stood apart since it was partly degraded in acidic soils, probably because of a catabolic cooperation between bacteria and fungi.

Impact of oxidation and biodegradation on the most commonly used polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) diagnostic ratios: Implications for the source identifications

Based on the isomer stability during their formation, PAH diagnostic ratios have been extensively used to determine PAH contamination origin. Nevertheless, it is known that these isomers do not present the same physicochemical properties and that reactions occurring during the transport from an atmospheric source induce changes in the diagnostic ratios. Yet, little is known about reactions occurring in soils contaminated by other sources such as coal tar and coal. Innovative batch experiments of abiotic oxidation and microbial incubations were performed to discriminate independently the influence of these two major processes occurring in soils on the diagnostic ratios of major PAH sources. Three samples were studied, a coking plant soil and two major PAH sources in this soil, namely coal and coal tar. The combustion signature of the coking plant soil showed the major influence of coal tar in the soil sample composition. Some of these ratios were drastically affected by oxidation and biodegradation processes inducing a change in the source signature. The coal tar signature changed to petrogenic source after oxidation with the anthracene/(anthracene+phenanthrene) ratio. According to this ratio, the initial petrogenic signature of the coal changed to a combustion signature after the biodegradation experiment.

Biotransformation of the high-molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) benzo[k]fluoranthene by Sphingobium sp. strain KK22 and identification of new products of non-alternant PAH biodegradation by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A pathway for the biotransformation of the environmental pollutant and high-molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) benzo[k]fluoranthene by a soil bacterium was constructed through analyses of results from liquid chromatography negative electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI(–)-MS/MS). Exposure of Sphingobium sp. strain KK22 to benzo[k]fluoranthene resulted in transformation to four-, three-and two-aromatic ring products. The structurally similar four-and three-ring non-alternant PAHs fluoranthene and acenaphthylene were also biotransformed by strain KK22, and LC/ESI(–)-MS/MS analyses of these products confirmed the lower biotransformation pathway proposed for benzo[k]fluoranthene. In all, seven products from benzo[k]fluoranthene and seven products from fluoranthene were revealed and included previously unreported products from both PAHs. Benzo[k]fluoranthene biotransformation proceeded through ortho-cleavage of 8,9-dihydroxy-benzo[k]fluoranthene to 8-carboxyfluoranthenyl-9-propenic acid and 9-hydroxy-fluoranthene-8-carboxylic acid, and was followed by meta-cleavage to produce 3-(2-formylacenaphthylen-1-yl)-2-hydroxy-prop-2-enoic acid. The fluoranthene pathway converged with the benzo[k]fluoranthene pathway through detection of the three-ring product, 2-formylacenaphthylene-1-carboxylic acid. Production of key downstream metabolites, 1,8-naphthalic anhydride and 1-naphthoic acid from benzo[k]fluoranthene, fluoranthene and acenaphthylene biotransformations provided evidence for a common pathway by strain KK22 for all three PAHs through acenaphthoquinone. Quantitative analysis of benzo[k]fluoranthene biotransformation by strain KK22 confirmed biodegradation. This is the first pathway proposed for the biotransformation of benzo[k]fluoranthene by a bacterium.

Limited waterborne acute toxicity of native polycyclic aromatic compounds from coals of different types compared to their total hazard potential

Coals contain native polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), which include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heterocyclic aromatic compounds (NSO-PACs) in considerably varying amounts up to 2500 mg/kg. Whereas PAC bioavailability and toxicity from coals are generally considered to be low, few studies have considered potential variations arising from the composition of different coal types including native PAC content. In the present study, fine particles of different coal types exhibiting variable properties were systematically investigated regarding their PAC bioavailability. PAH content reached up to 79 mg/kg EPA-PAH and 865 mg/kg total PAH. Determination of the toxic potential of extracted PACs in bioassays showed inhibition of Caenorhabditis elegans reproduction (up to 94%) and increased mortality of Danio rerio embryos (up to 100%) after exposure to extracts from lignite, sub-bituminous, and bituminous coals. Anthracite extracts showed no effects. Contact assays using whole coal samples revealed no toxicity to D. rerio embryos in any of the coal samples, suggesting low bioavailability of PACs. In contrast, C. elegans reproduction was inhibited by direct coal contact; however, the observed toxicity probably resulted from other coal effects. The results suggest that despite the high toxic potential of PACs present, their bioavailability from different coal types is very limited and independent of coal properties and native PAH content.

Experimental increase in availability of a PAH complex organic contamination from an aged contaminated soil: consequences on biodegradation

Although high PAH content and detection of PAH-degraders, the PAH biodegradation is limited in aged-contaminated soils due to low PAH availability (i.e., 1%). Here, we tried to experimentally increase the soil PAH availability by keeping both soil properties and contamination composition. Organic extract was first removed and then re-incorporated in the raw soil as fresh contaminants. Though drastic, this procedure only allowed a 6-time increase in the PAH availability suggesting that the organic constituents more than ageing were responsible for low availability. In the re-contaminated soil, the mineralization rate was twice more important, the proportion of 5-6 cycles PAH was higher indicating a preferential degradation of lower molecular weight PAH. The extraction treatment induced bacterial and fungal community structures modifications, Pseudomonas and Fusarium solani species were favoured, and the relative quantity of fungi increased. In re-contaminated soil the percentage of PAH-dioxygenase gene increased, with 10 times more Gram negative representatives.