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Hidalgo J, Artetxe U, Becerril JM, Gómez-Sagasti MT, Epelde L, Vilela J, Garbisu C. Biological remediation treatments improve the health of a mixed contaminated soil before significantly reducing contaminant levels. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:6010-6024. [PMID: 38133759 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31550-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The remediation of mixed contaminated soil is challenging as it often requires actions to minimize metal-induced risks while degrading organic contaminants. Here, the effectiveness of different bioremediation strategies, namely, rhizoremediation with native plant species, mycoremediation with Pleurotus ostreatus spent mushroom substrate, and biostimulation with organic by-products (i.e., composted sewage sludge and spent mushroom substrate), for the recovery of a mixed contaminated soil from an abandoned gravel pit was studied. The combination of biostimulation and rhizoremediation led to the most significant increase in soil health, according to microbial indicator values. The application of composted sewage sludge led to the highest reduction in anthracene and polychlorinated biphenyls concentrations. None of the strategies managed to decrease contamination levels below regulatory limits, but they did enhance soil health. It was concluded that the biological remediation treatments improved soil functioning in a short time, before the concentration of soil contaminants was significantly reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- June Hidalgo
- Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Soil Microbial Ecology Group, NEIKER - Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, P812, 48160, Derio, Spain
| | - Unai Artetxe
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, P.O. Box 644, 48080, Bilbao, Spain
| | - José M Becerril
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, P.O. Box 644, 48080, Bilbao, Spain
| | - María T Gómez-Sagasti
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, P.O. Box 644, 48080, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Lur Epelde
- Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Soil Microbial Ecology Group, NEIKER - Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, P812, 48160, Derio, Spain
| | - Juan Vilela
- CEA, Environmental Studies Centre, Palacio Zulueta, Paseo de la Senda 2, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Carlos Garbisu
- Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Soil Microbial Ecology Group, NEIKER - Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, P812, 48160, Derio, Spain.
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Garbini GL, Barra Caracciolo A, Rolando L, Visca A, Borello D, Cosentini C, Gagliardi G, Ieropoulos I, Grenni P. Effects of municipal waste compost on microbial biodiversity and energy production in terrestrial microbial fuel cells. N Biotechnol 2023; 78:131-140. [PMID: 37875210 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2023.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) transform organic matter into electricity through microbial electrochemical reactions catalysed on anodic and cathodic half-cells. Terrestrial MFCs (TMFCs) are a bioelectrochemical system for bioelectricity production as well as soil remediation. In TMFCs, the soil is the ion-exchange electrolyte, whereas a biofilm on the anode oxidises organic matter through electroactive bacteria. Little is known of the overall microbial community composition in a TMFC, which impedes complete exploitation of the potential to generate energy in different soil types. In this context, an experiment was performed to reveal the prokaryotic community structure in single chamber TMFCs with soil in the presence and absence of a municipal waste compost (3% w/v). The microbial community was assessed on the anode and cathode and in bulk soil at the end of the experiment (54 days). Moreover, TMFC electrical performance (voltage and power) was also evaluated over the experimental period, varying the external resistance to improve performance. Compost stimulated soil microbial activity, in line with a general increase in voltage and power. Significant differences were observed in the microbial communities between initial soil conditions and TMFCs, and between the anode, cathode and bulk soil in the presence of the compost. Several electroactive genera (Bacillus, Fulvivirga, Burkholdeira and Geobacter) were found at the anode in the presence of compost. Overall, the use of municipal waste compost significantly increased the performance of the MFCs in terms of electrical power and voltage generated, not least thanks to the selective pressure towards electroactive bacteria on the anode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Luigi Garbini
- Water research Institute, National Research Council, via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Barra Caracciolo
- Water research Institute, National Research Council, via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy.
| | - Ludovica Rolando
- Water research Institute, National Research Council, via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Visca
- Water research Institute, National Research Council, via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Domenico Borello
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMA), Sapienza University of Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Carlotta Cosentini
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMA), Sapienza University of Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Gabriele Gagliardi
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMA), Sapienza University of Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Water & Environmental Engineering Group, School of Engineering, University of Southampton, Bolderwood Campus, SO16 7QF, UK
| | - Paola Grenni
- Water research Institute, National Research Council, via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
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Abstract
Petroleum is the most common global fossil fuel. It is a complex multi-component system mainly composed of various hydrocarbons such as alkanes, cycloalkanes, mono-, bi- and polyaromatic compounds, resins and asphaltenes. In spite of humanity’s need for petroleum, it negatively affects the environment due to its toxicity. The ecological problem is especially serious at petroleum mining sites or during petroleum transportation. Since it is not possible to replace petroleum with less toxic fuel, ways to reduce the toxic impact of petroleum hydrocarbons on the environment need to be developed. This review addresses bioremediation, a biological approach to petroleum degradation, which is mainly performed by microbes. The pathways of degradation of alkanes, alkenes and aromatic hydrocarbons are presented in detail. The effects of temperature, aeration and the presence of biogenic elements on microbial degradation of petroleum are discussed. Plant–microbe interactions involved with the bioremediation of petroleum-polluted soils are specifically addressed. The data presented in this review point to the great potential of bioremediation practices for cleaning soils of petroleum.
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O'Connor J, Mickan BS, Siddique KHM, Rinklebe J, Kirkham MB, Bolan NS. Physical, chemical, and microbial contaminants in food waste management for soil application: A review. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 300:118860. [PMID: 35114306 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Currently, 1.3 billion tonnes of food are thrown away each year, most of which are incinerated or landfilled causing large environmental, social, and economic issues. Therefore, the utilisation of food waste as biofertilisers, such as composts and digestates, is a solution to reduce the problems created by incineration and landfilling whilst simultaneously amending soils. The improper disposal of food wastes and bulking materials can contribute to high levels of contaminants within the end-product. Moreover, the food waste and bulking materials, themselves, may contain trace amounts of contaminants. These contaminants tend to have long half-lives, are easily mobile within soil and plants, can accumulate within the food supply chain, and have moderate to high levels of toxicity. This review aims to examine the current and emerging contaminants of high concern that impact the quality of food-waste fertilisers. The paper presents the volume of current and emerging contaminants of plastics, other physical (particulate) contaminants, heavy metals, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and pathogens within food-waste composts and digestates. Due to the large extent of organic chemical contaminants and the unknown level of toxicity and persistence, the risk assessment of organic chemical contaminants in the food-supply chain remains largely unknown. This study has presented available data from literature of various contaminants found in food waste, and composts and digestates derived from food waste, and evaluated the data with current regulations globally. Overall, to reduce contaminants in composts and digestates, more studies are required on the implementation of proper disposal separation, effective composting and digestion practices, increased screening of physical contaminants, development of compostable plastics, and increased regulatory policies on emerging, problematic contaminants. Moreover, examination of emerging contaminants in food-waste composts and digestates is needed to ensure food security and reduce future human-health risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- James O'Connor
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soil (Soil CRC), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Bede S Mickan
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia
| | - Kadambot H M Siddique
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water and Waste Management, Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285, Wuppertal, Germany; Department of Environment, Energy and Geoinformatics, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Guangjin-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - M B Kirkham
- Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, United States
| | - Nanthi S Bolan
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soil (Soil CRC), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia
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Rolli E, Vergani L, Ghitti E, Patania G, Mapelli F, Borin S. 'Cry-for-help' in contaminated soil: a dialogue among plants and soil microbiome to survive in hostile conditions. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:5690-5703. [PMID: 34139059 PMCID: PMC8596516 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
An open question in environmental ecology regards the mechanisms triggered by root chemistry to drive the assembly and functionality of a beneficial microbiome to rapidly adapt to stress conditions. This phenomenon, originally described in plant defence against pathogens and predators, is encompassed in the ‘cry‐for‐help’ hypothesis. Evidence suggests that this mechanism may be part of the adaptation strategy to ensure the holobiont fitness in polluted environments. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were considered as model pollutants due to their toxicity, recalcitrance and poor phyto‐extraction potential, which lead to a plethora of phytotoxic effects and rise environmental safety concerns. Plants have inefficient detoxification processes to catabolize PCBs, even leading to by‐products with a higher toxicity. We propose that the ‘cry‐for‐help’ mechanism could drive the exudation‐mediated recruitment and sustainment of the microbial services for PCBs removal, exerted by an array of anaerobic and aerobic microbial degrading populations working in a complex metabolic network. Through this synergistic interaction, the holobiont copes with the soil contamination, releasing the plant from the pollutant stress by the ecological services provided by the boosted metabolism of PCBs microbial degraders. Improving knowledge of root chemistry under PCBs stress is, therefore, advocated to design rhizoremediation strategies based on plant microbiome engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Rolli
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, DeFENS, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Vergani
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, DeFENS, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Elisa Ghitti
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, DeFENS, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Giovanni Patania
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, DeFENS, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Francesca Mapelli
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, DeFENS, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Sara Borin
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, DeFENS, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milan, 20133, Italy
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Terzaghi E, Alberti E, Raspa G, Zanardini E, Morosini C, Anelli S, Armiraglio S, Di Guardo A. A new dataset of PCB half-lives in soil: Effect of plant species and organic carbon addition on biodegradation rates in a weathered contaminated soil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 750:141411. [PMID: 32841806 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a new dataset of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) half-lives in soil. Data were obtained from a greenhouse experiment performed with an aged contaminated soil under semi-field conditions, collected from a National Relevance Site (SIN) located in Northern Italy (SIN Brescia-Caffaro). Ten different treatments (combination of seven plant species and different soil conditions) were considered together with the respective controls (soil without plants). PCB concentration reduction in soil was measured over a period of 18 months to evaluate the ability of plants to stimulate the biodegradation of these compounds. Tall fescue, tall fescue cultivated together with pumpkin and tall fescue amended with compost reduced more than the 50% of the 79 measured PCB congeners, including the most chlorinated ones (octa to deca-PCBs). However, the data obtained showed that no plant species was uniquely responsible for the effective degradation of all isomeric classes and congeners. The obtained half-lives ranged from 1.3 to 5.6 years and were up to a factor of 8 lower compared to generic HL values reported in literature. This highlighted the importance of cultivation and plant-microbe interactions in speeding up the PCB biodegradation. This new dataset could contribute to substantially improve the predictions of soil remediation time, multimedia fate and the long-range transport of PCBs. Additionally, the half-lives obtained here can also be used in the evaluation of the food chain transfer of these chemicals, and finally the exposure and potential for effects on ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Terzaghi
- DiSAT, University of Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, Como, Italy
| | - Elena Alberti
- DiSAT, University of Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, Como, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Raspa
- DICMA, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Stefano Armiraglio
- Municipality of Brescia - Museum of Natural Sciences, Via Ozanam 4, Brescia, Italy
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