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Toxics
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Advanced Studies on Bioremediation Technologies of Environmental Pollutants
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Advanced Studies on Bioremediation Technologies of Environmental Pollutants

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Toxicity Reduction and Environmental Remediation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 11206

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Catarina Cruzeiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Helmholtz Munich - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
Interests: removal of persistent compounds from wastewater; environmental pollution; emerging contaminants; toxicology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Monica Brienza

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Applied and Basic Sciences, University of Basilicata, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano, Potenza, Italy
Interests: water treatment; degradation; adsorption; wastewater; water reuse
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental pollution has been on the rise due to several anthropogenic activities, such as unsafe agricultural practices, rapid industrialization, and incorrect disposal practices. This leads to waste generation with an increased presence of toxic chemicals (halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatics, metalloids, polychlorinated biphenyls, nanomaterials, and other organic and inorganic pollutants), which may reach the air, water, or soil, and consequently affect the environment and ultimately threaten the self-regulating capacity of the biosphere. BIOREMEDIATION is an attractive, ecofriendly, and convenient cleaning technique(s) that transforms or degrades contaminants into less toxic forms under in situ and ex situ conditions via natural means. Depending on the site characteristics, the concentration of pollutants, and economic resources, several bioremediation techniques can be applied, such as intrinsic and engineered bioremediation, both in relation to the slurry phase and the solid phase.

This Special Issue on “Advanced Studies on Bioremediation Technologies of Environmental Pollutants” aims to gather information generated from laboratory to field experiments using bioremediation technologies and evaluate the impact on soil-water quality; biodiversity; and, when possible, the economic impact on the studied region.

We encourage scientists around the world to contribute original research papers, reviews, and short communications related to emerging and/or maturing bioremediation techniques and explore mode of action, treatment, protection, and prevention of polluted scenarios.

Topics may include but are not limited to the following topics:

  • Development of technology and validation;
  • Economic and social impact;
  • Bioremediation;
  • Metabolic degradation pathways;
  • Risk assessment;
  • Toxicity;
  • Methodologies to determine toxic substances.

Dr. Catarina Cruzeiro
Dr. Monica Brienza
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • phytoremediation
  • in- and ex-situ
  • bioaccumulation
  • mycoremediation
  • emerging pollutants
  • phytoremediation
  • biostimulation
  • bioreactors
  • contaminants

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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16 pages, 2079 KiB  
Article
Effect of the Application of Ochrobactrum sp.-Immobilised Biochar on the Remediation of Diesel-Contaminated Soil
by Charles Chinyere Dike, Alka Rani Batra, Leadin S. Khudur, Kamrun Nahar and Andrew S. Ball
Toxics 2024, 12(4), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12040234 - 22 Mar 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1617
Abstract
The immobilisation of bacteria on biochar has shown potential for enhanced remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the effect of bacterial immobilisation on biosolids-derived biochar for the remediation of diesel-contaminated soil. This current study aimed to [...] Read more.
The immobilisation of bacteria on biochar has shown potential for enhanced remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the effect of bacterial immobilisation on biosolids-derived biochar for the remediation of diesel-contaminated soil. This current study aimed to assess the impact of the immobilisation of an autochthonous hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria, Ochrobacterium sp. (BIB) on biosolids-derived biochar for the remediation of diesel-contaminated soil. Additionally, the effect of fertiliser application on the efficacy of the BIB treatment was investigated. Biochar (BC) application alone led to significantly higher hydrocarbon removal than the control treatment at all sampling times (4887–11,589 mg/kg higher). When Ochrobacterium sp. was immobilised on biochar (BIB), the hydrocarbon removal was greater than BC by 5533 mg/kg and 1607 mg/kg at weeks 10 and 22, respectively. However, when BIB was co-applied with fertiliser (BIBF), hydrocarbon removal was lower than BIB alone by 6987–11,767 mg/kg. Quantitative PCR (q-PCR) analysis revealed that the gene related to Ochrobacterium sp. was higher in BIB than in the BC treatment, which likely contributed to higher hydrocarbon removal in the BIB treatment. The results of the q-PCR analysis for the presence of alkB genes and FTIR analysis suggest that the degradation of alkane contributed to hydrocarbon removal. The findings of this study demonstrate that bacterial immobilisation on biosolids-derived biochar is a promising technique for the remediation of diesel-contaminated soil. Future studies should focus on optimising the immobilisation process for enhanced hydrocarbon removal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Studies on Bioremediation Technologies of Environmental Pollutants)
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27 pages, 4357 KiB  
Article
Synthesis, Purity Check, Hydrolysis and Removal of o-Chlorobenzyliden Malononitrile (CBM) by Biological Selective Media
by Viorel Gheorghe, Catalina Gabriela Gheorghe, Daniela Roxana Popovici, Sonia Mihai, Catalina Calin, Elena Emilia Sarbu, Rami Doukeh, Nicoleta Grigoriu, Constantin Nicolae Toader, Cristiana Epure and Vasile Matei
Toxics 2023, 11(8), 672; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11080672 - 4 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2060
Abstract
The removal yield of organic substances present in water depends on the environmental conditions, on the chemical composition of the water and on the chemical substance dissolved in the water, which constitutes the substrate of the metabolic activities of the microalgae that use [...] Read more.
The removal yield of organic substances present in water depends on the environmental conditions, on the chemical composition of the water and on the chemical substance dissolved in the water, which constitutes the substrate of the metabolic activities of the microalgae that use these substances in the biochemical reactions of cellular enzyme complexes. o-Chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS, to use its military designation) was synthesized in-house, for research purposes, by a condensing reaction between o-chlorobenzaldehide and malononitrilein the presence of diethylamine. The detection, identification and confirmation of o-chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (coded CBM in this experimental study) was performed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the purity of CBM was 99%. The biodegradation capacity in the samples that contained the biological suspension, after 24 h and 96 h of incubation, was determined via GC-MS analysis, and no evidence of the presence of CBM or some metabolites of CBM was detected. In the parallel samples, a hydrolysis process of CBM at room temperature, without biological treatment, revealed two main metabolites, malononitrile and o-chlorobenzaldehyde, respectively. This study is focused on evaluating the biodegradation capacity of o-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile in the presence of a biological material, culture of Chlorella sp., in comparison with a classical hydrolysis process. The tests performed indicate that the suspension of Chlorella sp. consumed the entire amount of CBM and metabolites from the analyzed samples. The tests prove that the biological material can be used to decontaminate the affected areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Studies on Bioremediation Technologies of Environmental Pollutants)
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13 pages, 579 KiB  
Article
Influence of Reagents on Qualitative Indicators of Artificial Anti-Deflationary Phytocenosis on Waste from a Rare Earth Tailing Facility
by Eugenia A. Krasavtseva, Victoria Maksimova and Dmitriy Makarov
Toxics 2023, 11(7), 629; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11070629 - 20 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1450
Abstract
This paper presents an assessment of the effect of various reagents on the qualitative indicators of anti-deflationary single-species sowing phytocenosis on enrichment waste from rare earth ores. It has been established that tailings of loparite ores are not suitable for biological reclamation due [...] Read more.
This paper presents an assessment of the effect of various reagents on the qualitative indicators of anti-deflationary single-species sowing phytocenosis on enrichment waste from rare earth ores. It has been established that tailings of loparite ores are not suitable for biological reclamation due to low values of hygroscopic moisture (0.54–2.85%) and clay particles (17.6 ± 0.6%) and high content of bioavailable forms of aluminum (504 ± 14 mg/kg). Seeds of red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) were grown on the tailings of loparite ore enrichment with the addition of opoka (O), brucite (B), and vermiculite (V). The quality of the seed cenosis was assessed by the dry biomass of the above-ground parts of the plants and the plant height. A positive effect (one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01)) of the considered combinations of reagents on the growth of above-ground biomass from 31.5% (V) to 70.3 (V + O), 82.4% (V + B), and 81.8% (V + O+B) and on plant height from 53.8% (V) up to 78.6 (V + O), 83.8% (V + B), and 75.4% (V + O+B) was revealed. The use of a combination of V + O and V + B reagents made it possible to significantly reduce the content of Al (by 19.0% and 52.8%), Sr (by 16.5% and 12.9%), La (by 65.2% and 40.6%), and Ce (by 66.8% and 41.9%) in the aerial part of the sowing phytocenosis compared to control. The results obtained here can become the basis for development of a combined sorption technology for the reclamation of technogenically disturbed lands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Studies on Bioremediation Technologies of Environmental Pollutants)
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12 pages, 2066 KiB  
Article
Removal of Antibiotics Using an Algae-Algae Consortium (Chlorella protothecoides and Chlorella vulgaris)
by Luyanda L. Ndlela, Peter Schroeder, Bettina Genthe and Catarina Cruzeiro
Toxics 2023, 11(7), 588; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11070588 - 6 Jul 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3730
Abstract
The intensive use of antibiotics (for human, veterinary, and agricultural purposes) has steadily increased over the last 30 years. Large amounts of antibiotic residues are released into aquatic systems, mostly due to inefficient wastewater treatment. Conventional wastewater treatments are not designed to remove [...] Read more.
The intensive use of antibiotics (for human, veterinary, and agricultural purposes) has steadily increased over the last 30 years. Large amounts of antibiotic residues are released into aquatic systems, mostly due to inefficient wastewater treatment. Conventional wastewater treatments are not designed to remove emerging contaminants (such as antibiotics) from wastewater. Therefore, algae treatment (phycoremediation) has emerged as a promising choice for cost-effective, eco-friendly, and sustainable wastewater treatment. For this reason, we investigated the removal performance of a well-established algal consortia (Chlorella protothecoides and Chlorella vulgaris) used in passive wastewater treatment ponds (Mosselbay, South Africa). Five antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, amoxicillin, trimethoprim, ofloxacin, and clarithromycin) were selected for their ubiquity and/or low removal efficiency in conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). For each antibiotic, two concentrations were used: one environmentally relevant (10 ppb) and another 10 times higher (100 ppb), tested in triplicate and collected at two-time points (7 and 10 days). The algae remained viable over the exposure period (which is similar to the retention time within maturation ponds) and exhibited the capacity to remove sulfamethoxazole (77.3% ± 3.0 and 46.5% ± 5.3) and ofloxacin (43.5% ± 18.9 and 55.1% ± 12.0) from samples spiked with 10 and 100 ppb, respectively. This study demonstrates the potential and innovation of algal remediation for contaminants in a developing country context, where minimal infrastructure is available. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Studies on Bioremediation Technologies of Environmental Pollutants)
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16 pages, 5035 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Transformation Products of Selected Antibiotics and 17 α-Ethinylestradiol under Three In Vitro Biotransformation Models for Anticipating Their Relevance in Bioaugmented Constructed Wetlands
by Lucas Sosa Alderete, Andrés Sauvêtre, Serge Chiron and Đorđe Tadić
Toxics 2023, 11(6), 508; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11060508 - 5 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1487
Abstract
The degradation of three antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and ofloxacin) and one synthetic hormone (17 α-ethinylestradiol) was investigated in three in-vitro biotransformation models (i.e., pure enzymes, hairy root, and Trichoderma asperellum cultures) for anticipating the relevance of the formation of transformation products (TPs) in [...] Read more.
The degradation of three antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and ofloxacin) and one synthetic hormone (17 α-ethinylestradiol) was investigated in three in-vitro biotransformation models (i.e., pure enzymes, hairy root, and Trichoderma asperellum cultures) for anticipating the relevance of the formation of transformation products (TPs) in constructed wetlands (CWs) bioaugmented with T. asperellum fungus. The identification of TPs was carried out employing high-resolution mass spectrometry, using databases, or by interpreting MS/MS spectra. An enzymatic reaction with β-glucosidase was also used to confirm the presence of glycosyl-conjugates. The results showed synergies in the transformation mechanisms between these three models. Phase II conjugation reactions and overall glycosylation reactions predominated in hairy root cultures, while phase I metabolization reactions (e.g., hydroxylation and N-dealkylation) predominated in T. asperellum cultures. Following their accumulation/degradation kinetic profiles helped in determining the most relevant TPs. Identified TPs contributed to the overall residual antimicrobial activity because phase I metabolites can be more reactive and glucose-conjugated TPs can be transformed back into parent compounds. Similar to other biological treatments, the formation of TPs in CWs is of concern and deserves to be investigated with simple in vitro models to avoid the complexity of field-scale studies. This paper brings new findings on the emerging pollutants metabolic pathways established between T. asperellum and model plants, including extracellular enzymes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Studies on Bioremediation Technologies of Environmental Pollutants)
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