We have studied 2′,3,4 PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) degradation capability of two bacterial species with the alfalfa plant. These bacterial species, Commamonas sp. and Rhodococcus sp., were obtained from Dr. J. Tiedje (Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI). Five treatments were set up in duplicate and included an uninoculated control of sterile soil spiked with 100 ppm of 2′,3,4 PCB (p...

A systematic comparison of Cu toxicity thresholds was made between freshly spiked soils and soils in which elevated Cu concentrations have been present for various times. Three uncontaminated soils were spiked and experimentally leached or incubated outdoors for up to 18 months. Additionally, five field-contaminated soils with a 6- to 80-year-old Cu contamination were sampled, and corresponding...

The effects of soil pH on the toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) to the terrestrial isopod Porcellionides pruinosus were evaluated. Isopods were exposed to a natural soil amended with CaCO3 to reach 3 different pH(CaCl2) levels (4.5, 6.2, and 7.3) and to standard LUFA 2.2 soil (pH 5.5) spiked with ZnO NPs (30 nm), non-nano ZnO (200 nm), and ionic Zn as ZnCl₂. Toxicity was expressed based on to...

Improved approaches are needed to assess bioavailability of hydrophobic organic compounds in contaminated soils. Performance of thin-film solid-phase extraction (TF-SPE) using vials coated with ethylene vinyl acetate was compared to earthworm bioassay (Lumbricus terrestris). A DDT and dieldrin contaminated soil was amended with four organic carbon materials to assess the change in bioavailabili...

Methods for the extraction of PCR-quality DNA from environmental soil samples by using pairs of commercially available kits were evaluated. Coxiella burnetii DNA was detected in spiked soil samples at <1,000 genome equivalents per gram of soil and in 12 (16.4%) of 73 environmental soil samples.

Soil-dwelling organisms are exposed to metals in different ways. Evidence exists for predominant pore water uptake of metals by soft-bodied oligochaete species. In the present research, uptake kinetics of metals and the metalloid As by the semi-soft-bodied springtail Folsomia candida were studied, for which uptake via the pore water is less obvious. Springtails were exposed in 16 field soils an...

Purpose Soil contamination by multiple organic and inorganic contaminants is common but its remediation by hyperaccumulator plants is rarely reported. The growth of a cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii and removal of contaminants from Cd and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) co-contaminated soil were reported in this study. Materials and methods Soil slightly contaminated by Cd ...

Soil ecosystem polluted by metals affect the structure of soil invertebrate population(s) and dynamics leading to altered distribution of species. This study focuses on earthworm distribution in sewage irrigated agricultural lands around Bangalore. The occurrence of reported species from the sampled areas is Eudrilus eugeniae, Lampito maurutii, Pontoscolex corethrurus, Polypheretima elongata, P...

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of heavy metal tolerant soil microbes inoculation on growth and metal uptake of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), couch grass (Triticum repens) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in a soil spiked (and subsequently aged) with increasing concentrations of Pb. A soil sample (soil 1) was spiked with increasing (0 to 1500 mg/kg) concentrations of Pb and in...