| Title | Plant assisted bioremediation of a PCB historically contaminated area in southern Italy |
| Abstract | Phytoremediation comprises a set of technologies (e.g. plant assisted bioremediation,
phytoextraction, phytostabilisation) based on some specific plant capabilities directly
or indirectly promoting contaminant removal. Bioremediation of contaminated sites is
in line with environmental sustainability and with so called Green Remediation. It
means "the practice of considering all environmental effects of remedy implementation
and incorporating options to maximize the net environmental benefit of cleanup actions".
Phytoremediation or more properly plant assisted bioremediation provides a
relatively low cost, environment friendly treatment for many multi contaminated areas.
In this work, the results of the first 14th months of poplarassisted bioremediation
of a historically PCB contaminated area in Southern Italy is reported. The Monviso clone was selected for
its tested capability to promote hexachlorocyclohexane degradation in another CNR field study. The area
investigated has been used for several decades as an unsupervised waste disposal tip and it is contaminated
as well as PCBs by heavy metals. Six hundred poplar cuttings (Monviso clone) were planted in an
area of 785 m2 previously fertilized with compost. After 14 months, of plant cuttings, soils, roots and
leaves of selected target trees were analysed in order to identify PCBs and heavy metals contamination
(HM). Chemical investigations were conducted before and after poplar planting using GC-MS and ICP-MS
instruments, respectively. At the same time, the abundance, cell viability and dehydro-genase activity
(DHA) of the autochthonous microbial community were assessed to investigate micro-organisms' role in
the reclamation processes. The comparison of the initial chemical analysis of the contaminated area with
those performed 14 months after the poplar cutting planting, makes it possible to show:
- a general decrease in most of PCB congeners in all soil samples analysed and in no case was the legal
limit (60 ppb) exceeded. Trace concentrations of PCBs were found in roots and leaves (their amount
was always below the legal limits).
- HMs, which were initially found as widespread contaminants and at concentrations generally higher
than the legal limits, had by 14 months after the poplar-cuttings planting drastically, decreased at all
the sampling points. Zn, Cd, Se and Sn were detected in leaf and root samples of the target tree investigated.
The HM plant bioconcentration factor (BAF, considering roots and leaves) and translocation
factor (TF) suggest that poplars are also able to partially phytoextract and phyto-stabilise HMs.
Microbial results show a significant improvement in microbial activity. In fact microbial DHA increased
in all samples analysed 14 months after the poplar-cuttings planting, although it maintained different
values at the different sampling points. Overall experimental results suggest an improvement in
soil quality in terms of decreasing of PCB and HM contamination, increasing in microbial activity and in
organic carbon content, particularly evident in the rhizosphere. Further samplings are foreseen in order to
continue monitoring PCB and HM contamination in soil and vegetal parts and to investigate on the microbial
structure and activity. |
| Source | 6th European Bioremediation Conference (ebc-vi 2015), Chania, Crete, Greece, June 29-July 2, 2015 |
| Keywords | PhytoremediationPCB |
| Year | 2015 |
| Type | Abstract in atti di convegno |
| Authors | Valeria Ancona1, Anna Barra Caracciolo2, Paola Grenni2, Martina Di Lenola2, Claudia Campanale1, Vito Felice Uricchio1, Giuseppe Mascolo1 and Angelo Massacci3 |
| Text | 333557 2015 Phytoremediation PCB Plant assisted bioremediation of a PCB historically contaminated area in southern Italy Valeria Ancona1, Anna Barra Caracciolo2, Paola Grenni2, Martina Di Lenola2, Claudia Campanale1, Vito Felice Uricchio1, Giuseppe Mascolo1 and Angelo Massacci3 1 Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque CNR IRSA , V.le F. De Blasio 5, 70123 Bari, Italy 2 Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque CNR IRSA , Via Salaria km 29, 300 Roma, Italy 3 Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biologia Agroambientale e Forestale CNR IBAF , Via Salaria km 29,300 Roma, Italy 978 960 8475 23 6 Published version 6th European Bioremediation Conference ebc vi 2015 Chania, Crete, Greece June 29 July 2, 2015 Internazionale Contributo Phytoremediation comprises a set of technologies e.g. plant assisted bioremediation, phytoextraction, phytostabilisation based on some specific plant capabilities directly or indirectly promoting contaminant removal. Bioremediation of contaminated sites is in line with environmental sustainability and with so called Green Remediation. It means the practice of considering all environmental effects of remedy implementation and incorporating options to maximize the net environmental benefit of cleanup actions . Phytoremediation or more properly plant assisted bioremediation provides a relatively low cost, environment friendly treatment for many multi contaminated areas. In this work, the results of the first 14th months of poplarassisted bioremediation of a historically PCB contaminated area in Southern Italy is reported. The Monviso clone was selected for its tested capability to promote hexachlorocyclohexane degradation in another CNR field study. The area investigated has been used for several decades as an unsupervised waste disposal tip and it is contaminated as well as PCBs by heavy metals. Six hundred poplar cuttings Monviso clone were planted in an area of 785 m2 previously fertilized with compost. After 14 months, of plant cuttings, soils, roots and leaves of selected target trees were analysed in order to identify PCBs and heavy metals contamination HM . Chemical investigations were conducted before and after poplar planting using GC MS and ICP MS instruments, respectively. At the same time, the abundance, cell viability and dehydro genase activity DHA of the autochthonous microbial community were assessed to investigate micro organisms role in the reclamation processes. The comparison of the initial chemical analysis of the contaminated area with those performed 14 months after the poplar cutting planting, makes it possible to show a general decrease in most of PCB congeners in all soil samples analysed and in no case was the legal limit 60 ppb exceeded. Trace concentrations of PCBs were found in roots and leaves their amount was always below the legal limits . HMs, which were initially found as widespread contaminants and at concentrations generally higher than the legal limits, had by 14 months after the poplar cuttings planting drastically, decreased at all the sampling points. Zn, Cd, Se and Sn were detected in leaf and root samples of the target tree investigated. The HM plant bioconcentration factor BAF, considering roots and leaves and translocation factor TF suggest that poplars are also able to partially phytoextract and phyto stabilise HMs. Microbial results show a significant improvement in microbial activity. In fact microbial DHA increased in all samples analysed 14 months after the poplar cuttings planting, although it maintained different values at the different sampling points. Overall experimental results suggest an improvement in soil quality in terms of decreasing of PCB and HM contamination, increasing in microbial activity and in organic carbon content, particularly evident in the rhizosphere. Further samplings are foreseen in order to continue monitoring PCB and HM contamination in soil and vegetal parts and to investigate on the microbial structure and activity. Ancona Articolo_pubblicato.pdf Abstract in atti di convegno claudiacampanale CAMPANALE CLAUDIA vitofelice.uricchio URICCHIO VITO FELICE anna.barracaracciolo BARRA CARACCIOLO ANNA paola.grenni GRENNI PAOLA valeria.ancona ANCONA VALERIA angelo.massacci MASSACCI ANGELO giuseppe.mascolo MASCOLO GIUSEPPE TA.P04.005.005 Gestione integrata delle informazioni ambientali |
