We examined the degradation of biphenyl and the commercial polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture Aroclor 1221 by indigenous Arctic soil microorganisms to assess both the response of the soil microflora to PCB pollution and the potential of the microflora for bioremediation. In soil slurries, Arctic soil microflora and temperate-soil microflora had similar potentials to mineralize [14C]biphenyl...

Rhizoremediation involves the breakdown of contaminants in soil resulting from microbial activity that is enhanced in the plant root zone. The objective of this study was to assess Australian native grasses for their ability to stimulate removal of aliphatic hydrocarbons from a mine site soil. Time-course pot experiments were conducted in a greenhouse with three grass species (Cymbopogon ambigu...

Remediation of sites contaminated by toxic chlorinated organic compounds by using nanoscale iron particles (NIP) has received great attention owing to their high reactivity resulting from small size and large reactive surface area. However, adequate delivery of NIP into the contaminated zones for in situ remediation applications is difficult because of NIP agglomeration and sedimentation. Diffe...

Advances in Agronomy, Volume 86 Copyright 2005, Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 0065-2113/05 $35.00 II. C limatic and Soil Conditions of Study Areas III. N utrient Stocks IV. N utrient Cycling A. N utrient Removal: Yield B. N utrient Removal: Leaching C. N utrient Removal: Soil Erosion D. A ddition of Nutrients E. T ransfer of Nutrients V. N utrient Balances VI. S oil Changes Under Cocoa VII...

This study describes the biological degradation of TNT by using induced aeration. Three plastic reactors were used. In each reactor 3 kg of soil were used. In order to increase the porosity of the soil, sawdust was added to soil. Textile wastewater treatment plant sludge was also added to soil. TNT at the concentrations of 1000 mg/kg of soil was added thereafter. Rhamnolipid biosurfactant at th...

This greenhouse experiment aimed to investigate the effects of poultry manure (PM) on the growth of oat plant (Avena sativa) and removal of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) from soil. The treatments consisted of three TPH levels (4%, 6%, and 8% w/w) and two PM levels (zero and 1%) at three replications. According to the findings, shoot height, number of leaves, and the fresh and dry...

The high hydrophobicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) strongly reduces their bioavailability in aged contaminated soils, thus limiting their bioremediation. The biodegradation of PAHs in soils can be enhanced by employing surface-active agents. However, chemical surfactants are often recalcitrant and exert toxic effects in the amended soils. The effects of two biogenic materials as...

Removal of dibenzofuran, dibenzo-p-dioxin, and 2-chlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2-CDD) (10 ppm each) from soil microcosms to final concentrations in the parts-per-billion range was affected by the addition of Sphingomonas sp. strain RW1. Rates and extents of removal were influenced by the density of RW1 organisms. For 2-CDD, the rate of removal was dependent on the content of soil organic matter (SOM)...

Global changes such as variations in plant net primary production are likely to drive shifts in leaf litterfall inputs to forest soils, but the effects of such changes on soil carbon (C) cycling and storage remain largely unknown, especially in C-rich tropical forest ecosystems. We initiated a leaf litterfall manipulation experiment in a tropical rain forest in Costa Rica to test the sensitivit...

Direct Red 81, a dye widely used in textile industries, is frequently detected dye in water resources. High costs, the formation of hazardous byproducts, and high energy costs restrict the use of some removal methods. Therefore, the main objectives of this research are the feasibility of using soil containing iron as a low cost adsorbent to remove (Direct Red 81) from aqueo...