The soils of the big cities, owing to the various anthropogenic activities, can be contaminated by heavy metals. The surroundings of the roads with heavy traffic as significant metal emitter source can be contaminated by heavy metals. The hobby gardens and the vegetable gardens directly along roads can be potential risky for people since unknown amount of heavy metals can be accumulated into or...

In situ remediation technologies for contaminated soils are faced with significant technical challenges when the contaminated soil has low permeability. Popular traditional technologies are rendered ineffective due to the difficulty encountered in accessing the contaminants as well as when employed in settings where the soil contains mixed contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy meta...

This is the first investigation of the diversity and distribution of 16S rRNA and phenol monooxygenase (PHE) genes in endophytic and rhizosphere bacteria of plants at sites contaminated with different levels of PAHs. Ten PAHs at concentrations from 34.22 to 55.29 and 45.79 to 97.81 mg·kg(-1) were measured in rhizosphere soils of Alopecurus aequalis Sobol and Oxalis corniculata L., respectively....

The study investigated the diversity and genotypic features of alkane hydroxylase genes on rhizoplanes of grasses planted in artificial petroleum-contaminated soils to acquire new insights into the bacterial communities responsible for petroleum degradation in phytoremediation. Four types of grass (Cynodon dactylon, two phenotypes of Zoysia japonica, and Z. matrella) were used. The concentratio...

Large areas of soils have been contaminated by heavy metals, which are deleterious to the existence, reproduction and development of living organisms including plants, animals and microorganisms. The contamination of nature compartments by heavy metals has become a serious environmental problem. Due to the high cost of conventional clean-up technologies, there is an increasing interest in the r...

A Hg-contaminated site in B.C. Province, Canada was caused by the previous operation of Hg-cell in chlor-alkali process for over 25 years. The soils and groundwater at the site are highly contaminated with mercury. An analysis of groundwater at the site has shown that most of the mercury is bonded with humic and fulvic acids (HFA) in colloidal form. The Hg-HFA colloids can be completely removed...

The phytotoxic effects of crude oil and oil components on the growth of red beans (Phaseolus nipponesis OWH1) and corn (Zea mays) was investigated. In addition, the beneficial effects of bioremediation with the oil-degrading microorganism, Nocardia sp. H17-1, on corn and red bean growth in oil-contaminated soil was also determined. It was found that crude oil-contaminated soil (10,000mg/kg) was...

Human infections by Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati larvae are frequent and have a cosmopolitan distribution resulting, sometimes, in the occurrence of visceral larva migrans syndrome. Ingestion of embryonated Toxocara eggs, present in the superficial layers of the soil, represents the most important way for human infection by these ascarids. Therefore, contact with contaminated soil is conside...

A bioremediation of crude oil contaminated soils study was carried out in engineered laboratory biopile systems. In soil bioremediation, biopiles are ‘ex situ’ treatment systems that consist of excavated and aerated contaminated soils amended by addition of biological, mineral or organic material depending upon specific needs. When bacteria are added to the contaminated soil undergoing biologic...

Sequential washing techniques using single or dual agents [sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) solutions] were applied to arsenic-contaminated soils in an abandoned iron-ore mine area. We investigated the best remediation strategies to maximize arsenic removal efficiency for both soils and arsenic-containing washing solution through conducting a series of batch experiments. Base...