Study of the potential valorisation of heavy metal contaminated biomass via phytoremediation by fast pyrolysis: Part II: Characterisation of the liquid and gaseous fraction as a function of the temperature

Fast pyrolysis of heavy metal contaminated birch (CMB), resulting from phytoremediation, is investigated. The effect of the pyrolysis temperature (673, 773, 873 K) on the composition and evolution of the bio-oil/tar fraction and the gas fraction has been studied. The knowledge of the composition of the gaseous and liquid pyrolysis fractions, as a function of the pyrolysis temperature, affects directly future applications and valorisation of the pyrolysis products and are indispensable for making and selecting the proper thermal conditions for their optimal use. In view of the future valorisation of this heavy metal contaminated biomass, the pyrolysis temperature is imperative, because some of the heavy metals can volatilize at temperatures generally used for the co-combustion or fast pyrolysis of biomass.     

Hydrocarbon stress response of four tropical plants in weathered crude oil contaminated soil in microcosms

Responses to hydrocarbon stress of four tropical plants Panicum maximum, Zea mays, Centrosema sp. and Pueraria sp. grown in crude oil contaminated soils (1%, 5% and 10% w/w) were evaluated in a green house. Plants’ percentage survival, shoot heights, biomass development, and phytotoxicity susceptibility were used as indicators of growth, stress response and hydrocarbon tolerance. Relative to control, shoot heights and biomass of plants reduced with increasing hydrocarbon concentration, but 1% w/w oil-in-soil, stimulated shoot heights (5.9% and 6.4%) and weights (21.9% and 2.3%) in P. maximum and Centrosema sp. respectively. P. maximum tolerated the contaminant stress with biomass yields of 113% and 57% of control respectively in 1% and 10% w/w oil-in-soil. All the plants had 100% survival in 1% w/w, but considerably reduced survival in 10% w/w oil-in-soil. These results show that P. maximum has great potential for phytoremediation of petroleum contaminated soil.     

重金属污染土壤植物修复效果评价方法 ——高光谱遥感

重金属污染土壤修复是当今全球生态修复中面临的一项难题。植物修复因其成本低、环保等优点在重金属污染土壤治理中展现出良好的应用前景。高光谱遥感技术可以高效、无损、实时地获取植物的生理生化参数信息，可为评价植物修复效果提供技术支撑。阐述了高光谱遥感技术在重金属污染土壤植物修复中的应用进展，探讨了高光谱遥感反演植被理化参数含量的估算模型，并对基于微分光谱、基于“三边”参数、基于植被指数等估算模型进行了分析比较，为有效评价矿区植物修复效果提供参考。     

铅污染土壤的植物修复治理技术

铅锌矿的大量开采不可避免地导致了矿区土壤受到严重的铅污染。本文综述了铅对土壤的危害、对植物的毒害作用,铅超富集植物的筛选、影响超富集植物富集铅的因素和超富集植物吸收和积累铅的机制等方面的研究进展,并指出了目前尚未解决的问题及未来发展趋势。     

修复铀污染土壤超积累植物的筛选及积累特征研究

采用土壤盆栽试验,以十字花科、锦葵科、菊科共十种植物为研究材料,在100 mg/kg铀浓度土壤环境中培养55 d后收割,采用ICP-AES分析方法测定植物地上部分和根部铀的含量.结果表明:试验的十种植物中,特选榨菜地上部分铀含量最高(1115 mg/kg干重),艾蒿地上部分铀提取量最大(1113μg/盆);泡青菜和特选榨菜地上部分铀含量高于根部,迁移系数、生物富集系数均大于1,这两种植物地上部分均有较高的铀提取量,适合推荐作为铀超积累植物进行植物修复.     

Phytoremediation of petroleum polluted soil

An experimental study of the rhizosphere effect on phytoremediation of petroleum polluted soil was carried out with three species of grasses, namely Pannicum, Eleusine indica （L.） Gaerth, and Tall Fescue. After a period of 150 days, this pot experiment showed that the rhizosphere of these three species accelerated the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons to different extents. The results showed that the number of microorganisms in the rhizosphere increased by three orders of magnitude. The induction of the plant rhizosphere and the coercion influence of petroleum changed the species and activity of microorganisms. The degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the rhizosphere was 3-4 times that in unplanted soil. The dehydrogenase activity in the rhizosphere was 1.61-2.20 times that in unplanted soil, but the catalase activity was 0.90-0.93 times that in unplanted soil, and soil moisture content increased by 5% compared with the unplanted soil.     

Rhizoremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soil using Australian native grasses

Rhizoremediation involves the breakdown of contaminants in soil resulting from microbial activity that is enhanced in the plant root zone. The objective of this study was to assess Australian native grasses for their ability to stimulate removal of aliphatic hydrocarbons from a mine site soil. Time-course pot experiments were conducted in a greenhouse with three grass species (Cymbopogon ambiguus, Brachiaria decumbens, and Microlaena stipoides) in a mine site soil experimentally contaminated with a 60:40 diesel:oil mixture at 1% (w/w) concentration. Plants were cultivated for 100 days with periodic evaluation of changes in soil total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentration, soil lipase activity, and abundance of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms. Results were compared to unplanted control treatments. Significantly lower endpoint TPH concentrations were recorded in planted soil compared to unplanted soil (p = 0.01). Final TPH concentrations and rates of TPH removal varied between grass species, with total TPH removal of between 50% and 88% achieved in planted treatments. The presence of grasses significantly increased the abundance of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms and soil lipase activity relative to unplanted soil (p < 0.05). Residual TPH concentration was found to be closely (negatively) correlated with abundance of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms and to a lesser extent with soil lipase activity. Australian native grass species were identified that effectively enhance the remediation of diesel/oil contaminated soil, without any requirement for nutrient supplementation. Results may have extensive application to the nationwide problems associated with hydrocarbon contaminated sites.     

Remediation of petroleum contaminated soils by joint action of Pharbitis nil L. and its microbial community

The plot-culture experiments were conducted for examining the feasibility of Pharbitis nil L. and its microbial community to remedy petroleum contaminated soils. The petroleum contaminated soil, containing 10% (w/w) of the total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), was collected from the Shengli Oil Field, Dongying City, Shandong Province, China. The collected soil was applied and diluted to a series of petroleum contaminated soils (0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0% and 4.0%). Root length, microbial populations and numbers in the rhizosphere were also measured in this work. The results showed that there was significantly (p < 0.05) greater degradation rate of TPHs in vegetated treatments, up to 27.63-67.42%, compared with the unvegetated controls (only 10.20-35.61%), after a 127-day incubation. Although various fractions of TPHs had an insignificant concentration difference due to the presence of the remediation plants, there was a much higher removal of saturated hydrocarbon compared with other components. The biomass of P. nil L. did not decrease significantly when the concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil was ≤ 2.0%. The trends of microbial populations and numbers in the rhizosphere were similar to the biomass changes, with the exception that fungi at 0.5% petroleum contaminated soil had the largest microbial populations and numbers.     

Conversion of fern (Pteris vittata L.) biomass from a phytoremediation trial in sub- and supercritical water conditions

Uncontaminated and As-contaminated fronds of Pteris vittata L., an As-hyperaccumulator fern used to phytoextract As from contaminated soils and water, were converted by sub-critical water (300 °C, 25 Pa) and supercritical water (400 °C, 25 Pa) treatments. Frond biomass was reduced between 70 and 77%. Compared to sub-critical conditions, supercritical conditions decreased C and inorganic contents in both the solid and liquid phases for uncontaminated and contaminated fronds and promoted CH₄ formation. Higher As, Fe and Zn contents in contaminated fronds promoted decreasing C contents and the formations of cyclopentenones and benzenediols in the liquid phase. Al, Fe, P, Zn and Ca mainly remained in the solid phase whereas As and S were transferred to the liquid phase for both phytomasses. As the temperature increased from 300 °C to 400 °C, the concentrations of cyclopentenones and phenols in the liquid phase rose while those of guaiacols and other compounds decreased for both phytomasses. Arsenic in the liquid phase was removed by sorption on hydrous iron oxide.     

Assessment of fly ash-aided phytostabilisation of highly contaminated soils after an 8-year field trial Part 2. Influence on plants

Aided phytostabilisation is a cost-efficient technique to manage metal-contaminated areas, particularly in the presence of extensive pollution. Plant establishment and survival in highly metal-contaminated soils are crucial for phytostabilisation success, as metal toxicity for plants is widely reported. A relevant phytostabilisation solution must limit metal transfer through the food chain. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the long-term efficiency of aided phytostabilisation on former agricultural soils highly contaminated by cadmium, lead, and zinc. The influence of afforestation and fly ash amendments on reducing metal phytoavailability was investigated as were their effects on plant development. Before being planted with a tree mix, the site was divided into three plots: a reference plot with no amendment, a plot amended with silico-aluminous fly ash and one with sulfo-calcic fly ash. Unlike Salix alba and Quercus robur, Alnus glutinosa, Acer pseudoplatanus and Robinia pseudoacacia grew well on the site and accumulated, overall, quite low concentrations of metals in their leaves and young twigs. This suggests that these three species have an excluder phenotype for Cd, Zn and Pb. After 8 years, metal availability to A. glutinosa, A. pseudoplatanus and R. pseudoacacia, and translocation to their above-ground parts, strongly decreased in fly ash-amended soils. Such decreases fit well together with the depletion of CaCl₂-extractable metals in amended soils. Although both fly ashes were effective to decrease Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations in above-ground parts of trees, the sulfo-calcic ash was more efficient.