Recent Research Bibliographies and Selected Articles
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Research Bibliographies on Phytoremediatio
Topics:
Updated 7/12/2003
Selected Articles on Phytoremediation
Phytodetoxification of TNT by transgenic plants expressing
a bacterial nitroreductase
Nerissa Hannink1, Susan J. Rosser1, Christopher E. French, Amrik Basran,
James A.H. Murray, Stephen Nicklin & Neil C. Bruce
Nature Biotechnology Volume 19 Number 12(December 2001) pp 1168
- 1172
[Abstract][Full Text - HTML][Full Article - PDF]
Phytodegradation of p,p'-DDT and the Enantiomers of o,p'-DDT
Arthur W. Garrison,Valentine A. Nzengung,Jimmy K. Avants,J. Jackson Ellington,William
J. Jones,Darrell Rennels, andN. Lee Wolfe
Environmental Science & Technology Volume 34, Issue 9 (May 1,
2000) 1663-1670
[Abstract][Full Text
- HTML][Full Article - PDF][Purchase Article]
Enhancement of Phytoextraction of Zn, Cd, and Cu from Calcareous
Soil: The Use of NTA and Sulfur Amendments
A. Kayser,K. Wenger,A. Keller,W. Attinger,H. R. Felix,S. K. Gupta, andR.
Schulin
Environmental Science & Technology Volume 34, Issue 9 (May 1,
2000) 1778-1783.
[Abstract][Full Text
- HTML][Full Article - PDF][Purchase Article]
Phytoremediation of soil metals.
Author
Chaney RL; Malik M; Li YM; Brown SL; Brewer EP;
Angle JS; Baker AJ
Address
United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville
Agricultural Research Center West, MD 20705, USA. rchaney@asrr.arsusda.gov
Source
Curr Opin Biotechnol, 8(3):279-84 1997 Jun
Abstract
The phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils
offers a low-cost method for soil remediation and some extracted metals may
be recycled for value. Both the phytoextraction of metals and the phytovolatilization
of Se or Hg by plants offer great promise for commercial development. Natural
metal hyperaccumulator phenotype is much more important than high-yield ability
when using plants to remove metals from contaminated soils. The hypertolerance
of metals is the key plant characteristic required for hyperaccumulation;
vacuolar compartmentalization appears to be the source of hypertolerance
of natural hyperaccumulator plants. Alternatively, soil Pb and Cr6+ may be
inactivated in the soil by plants and soil amendments (phytostabilization).
Little molecular understanding of plant activities critical to phytoremediation
has been achieved, but recent progress in characterizing Fe, Cd and Zn uptake
by Arabidopsis and yeast mutants indicates strategies for developing transgenic
improved phytoremediation cultivars for commercial use.
Phytoremediation of methylmercury pollution: merB expression
in Arabidopsis thaliana confers resistance to organomercurials.
Author
Bizily SP; Rugh CL; Summers AO; Meagher RB
Address
Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens,
GA 30602, USA.
Source
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 96(12):6808-13 1999 Jun
8
Abstract
Methylmercury is an environmental toxicant that
biomagnifies and causes severe neurological degeneration in animals. It is
produced by bacteria in soils and sediments that have been contaminated with
mercury. To explore the potential of plants to extract and detoxify this
chemical, we engineered a model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, to express a
modified bacterial gene, merBpe, encoding organomercurial lyase (MerB) under
control of a plant promoter. MerB catalyzes the protonolysis of the carbon---mercury
bond, removing the organic ligand and releasing Hg(II), a less mobile mercury
species. Transgenic plants expressing merBpe grew vigorously on a wide range
of concentrations of monomethylmercuric chloride and phenylmercuric acetate.
Plants lacking the merBpe gene were severely inhibited or died at the
same organomercurial concentrations. Six independently isolated transgenic
lines produced merBpe mRNA and MerB protein at levels that varied over a
10- to 15-fold range, and even the lowest levels of merBpe expression conferred
resistance to organomercurials. Our work suggests that native macrophytes
(e.g., trees, shrubs, grasses) engineered to express merBpe may be used to
degrade methylmercury at polluted sites and sequester Hg(II) for later removal.
Adsorption
of Europium Ions by Water Hyacinth
Colleen Kelley,
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ - Presentation of 24 July 1998
Notes
Dr Kelley and her students are investigating the use of
the water
hyacinth, a free-floating macrophyte, to adsorp toxic metals on the roots
of the plant. In order to avoid problems associated with disposal of
hazardous waste, they have been using Europium
(Eu) in their studies as an analog for toxic metals. The findings
of the research conducted by Dr Kelley and her students suggests that the
water hyacinth can be used to remediate water contaminated with trivalent
radionuclides.
Sulfur metabolism in higher plants: potential
for phytoremediation. Author
Ernst WH
Address
Department of Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Faculty of Biology, Vrije
Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Source
Biodegradation, 9(3-4):311-8 1998
Abstract
Sulfur is a major nutrient for all organisms. Plant species have a high biodiversity
in uptake, metabolization and accumulation of sulfur so that there are potentials
to use plants for phytoremediation of sulfur-enriched sites. A survey
of soils enriched with sulfur either naturally or by human activities shows
that a surplus of sulfur is mostly accompanied with a surplus of other chemical
elements which may limit phytoremediation because these co-occurring
elements are more toxic to plants than sulfur. In addition, the accumulation
of the other elements makes the plant material (phyto-extraction) less suitable
for the use as fodder and for human consumption.
Phytoremediation of trichloroethylene with hybrid poplars.
Author
Gordon M; Choe N; Duffy J; Ekuan G; Heilman P; Muiznieks
I; Ruszaj M; Shurtleff BB; Strand S; Wilmoth J; Newman LA
Address
University of Washington, Dept. of Biochemistry,
Seattle 98195-7350, USA. miltong@u.washington.edu
Source
Environ Health Perspect, 106 Suppl 4():1001-4 1998
Aug
Abstract
Axenic tumor cultures of poplar cells, clone H11-11,
were grown in the presence of [14C]-trichloroethylene (TCE) (uniformly labeled).
The cells were capable of metabolizing TCE to produce trichloroethanol, di-
and trichloroacetic acid. Some of the carbon from TCE was found in insoluble,
nonextractable cell residue, and small amounts were mineralized to [14C]CO2.
Poplar cuttings grown in soil and exposed to TCE produced the same metabolites.
In field trials, trees were planted in soil in test cells and exposed to
TCE via underground water injection during the growing season. During the
growing season, at least 95% of the TCE was removed from the influent water
stream in cells containing trees. Mass balance studies conducted in the laboratory
indicated that 70 to 90% of the TCE was transpired; however, greenhouse and
field study results showed that less than 5% of the total TCE taken up by
the plants is transpired. These results show that significant TCE uptake
and degradation occur in poplars. Poplars appear to be useful for in situ
remediation of TCE-contaminated sites under proper conditions.
Screening of aquatic and wetland plant species for phytoremediation
of explosives-contaminated groundwater from the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant.
Author
Best EP; Zappi ME; Fredrickson HL; Sprecher SL;
Larson SL; Ochman M
Address
AScl Corporation, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39081, USA.
Source
Ann N Y Acad Sci, 829():179-94 1997 Nov 21
Abstract
The results of this study indicate that the presence
of plants did enhance TNT and TNB removal from IAAP groundwater. Most effective
at 25 degrees C were reed canary grass, coontail and pondweed. Groundwater
and plant tissue analyses indicate that in presence of the plants tested
TNT is degraded to reduced by-products and to other metabolites that were
not analyzed. TNT removal was best modeled using first order kinetics, with
rate constants at 25 degrees C incubations ranging from 0.038 microgram L-1
h-1 for reed canary grass to 0.012 microgram L-1 h-1 for parrot-feather.
These kinetics predict hydraulic retention times (HRTs) ranging from 4.9
days to 19.8 days to reach a TNT concentration of 2 micrograms L-1. Decreasing
incubation temperature to 10 degrees C affected reed canary grass more
than parrot-feather, increasing estimated HRTs by factors of four and two,
respectively. The plant species tested showed a far lower potential for RDX
removal from the IAAP groundwater. Most effective at 25 degrees C were reed
canary grass and fox sedge. Analyses of plant material indicated the
presence of RDX in under-water plant portions and in aerial plant portions,
and RDX accumulation in the latter. RDX removal was best modeled using zero
order kinetics, with rate constants for the 25 degrees C incubation ranging
from 13.45 micrograms L-1 h-1 for reed canary grass to no removal in four
species. Based on these kinetics, estimated HRTs to reach 2 micrograms L-1
RDX increased from 39 days. Decreasing the temperature to 10 degrees C increased
HRT 24-fold for reed canary grass. By using the biomass-normalized K value,
submersed plants are identified as having the highest explosives-removing
activity (microgram explosive L-1 h-1 g DW-1). However, biomass production
of submersed plants is normally five to ten times less than that of emergent
plants per unit area, and, thus, in plant selection for wetland construction,
both, explosives removal potential and biomass production are important determinants.
Another publication:
Phytoremediation of TNT-Contaminated Soils Using Plants
Selected by a Four-Step Screening Procedure
EPA Contract Number: 68D70027
Title: Phytoremediation of TNT-Contaminated Soils Using Plants Selected by
a Four-Step Screening Procedure
Principal Investigator: Dr. Ari M. Ferro
Small Business:
Phytokinetics, Inc.
1770 North Research Park Way, Suite 110
North Logan, UT 84341
Telephone Number: 801-750-0985
[ link
to abstract ]
Last update: July 12, 2003