The objective in the first phase of this study was to screen alfalfa, flatpea, sericea lespedeza, deertongue, reed canarygrass, switchgrass, and tall fescue for phytoremediation of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated soil. During the second phase, the focus was rhizosphere characterization to optimize PCB phytoremediation. Aroclor 1248 (PCB) was added to soil at 100 mg x kg(-1) of soil....

Pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) is widespread due to unsuitable disposal of industrial waste. They are mostly defined as priority pollutants by environmental protection authorities worldwide. Phenanthrene, a typical PAH, was selected as the target in this paper. The PAH-degrading mixed culture, named ZM, was collected from a petroleum contaminated river bed. This culture was...

Atrazine herbicide that is widely used in corn production is frequently detected in water resources. The main objectives of this research were focused on assessing the effects of carbon and nitrogen sources on atrazine biodegradation by mixed bacterial consortium and by evaluating the feasibility of using mixed bacterial consortium in soil culture. Shiraz corn field soil with a long history of ...

The biodegradation of two crude oils by microorganisms from an anoxic aquifer previously contaminated by natural gas condensate was examined under methanogenic and sulfate-reducing conditions. Artificially weathered Alaska North Slope crude oil greatly stimulated both methanogenesis and sulfate reduction. Gas chromatographic analysis revealed the entire n-alkane fraction of this oil (C13-C34) w...

It is generally considered that the addition of biodiesel has a positive effect on biodegradation of diesel fuel hydrocarbons. Although the stimulating effect has been widely recognized, the exact mechanisms behind this phenomenon are still not entirely elucidated. While the presence of biodiesel may induce dispersion of diesel fuel hydrocarbons, thereby increasing their overall bioavailability...

The aim of the present study was to compare the biodegradation of differently cross-linked collagen membranes in rats. Five commercially available and three experimental membranes (VN) were included: (1) BioGide (BG) (non-cross-linked porcine type I and III collagens), (2) BioMend (BM), (3) BioMendExtend (BME) (glutaraldehyde cross-linked bovine type I collagen), (4) Ossix (OS) (enzymatic-cross...

Nanopods are extracellular structures arising from the convergence of two widely distributed bacterial characteristics: production of outer membrane vesicles (OMV) and formation of surface layers (S-layers). Nanopod production is driven by OMV formation, and in Delftia acidovorans Cs1-4 growth on phenanthrene induces OMV/nanopod formation. While OMV production has been associated with many func...

Bacterial community dynamics and biodegradation processes were examined in a highly creosote-contaminated soil undergoing a range of laboratory-based bioremediation treatments. The dynamics of the eubacterial community, the number of heterotrophs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) degraders, and the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and PAH concentrations were monitored during the biorem...

This paper presents a comparative study of the efficiency of biodegradation, adsorption and simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation (SAB) process for the remediation of industrial wastewaters containing both cyanide and phenol. Adsorption was carried out using granular activated carbon (GAC), while biodegradation was achieved by co-fermentation with Pseudomonas putida and Azotobacter chrooco...

The aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) in a model wastewater was investigated employing sludge microbes from Xiamen Terylene plant. The effect of molecular weight (MW) on the aerobic/anaerobic biodegradation of PEGs was assessed by performing shake flasks/sealed flasks experiments, respectively, using organic model wastewater containing PEG 600, 6000 and 20,000....