Bioremediation

A well-designed engineered soil for bioretention is important as it ensures that pollutant removal requirements are met. This laboratory study investigated the nutrient removal efficiency of bioretention media enhanced with 10% (by volume) additives from various waste materials (cockle shell, newspaper, printed paper, coconut husk and tyre crumb) and planted with Red Hot Chinese Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), a common landscape shrub in tropical countries. The results showed that media enhanced with shredded newspaper demonstrated a significant improvement in total nitrogen (TN) removal (80.4%), compared to standard bioretention media (57.5%) without compromising total suspended solids (TSS) and total phosphorus (TP) removal, when dosed with actual runoff. The thick root system and rapid growth rate of the plant was proven to contribute to TN removal. This study concluded that shredded newspaper can be a potential addition to enhance bioretention media performance in treating stormwater, especially nutrient rich runoff from mixed development areas.

The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill was detrimental to the prosperity of marine and wildlife habitats, as well as the fishing and tourism industry in the surrounding region. Oil spills can also indirectly affect the economies of countries outside the region, specifically through the spread of toxins harmful to aquatic life. A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method (HPLC) with UV detection is developed and validated for the quantitative determination of pollutants in surface oil exposed to sunlight. Octanal, hexanal, and propionaldehyde are the three waste products targeted in this study. These aldehydes have specific negative impacts on marine wildlife, such as long term cardiotoxicity in fish and liver dysfunction in mammals. Because aldehydes and ketones are considered a waste product in aquatic environments, this long-term study was conducted to identify and quantify the formation of aldehydes in emulsified crude oil and seawater by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and solar simulation. Oil samples collected from BP’s Surrogate Macondo Well were irradiated by solar simulator over six, twelve, and eighteen hour periods. The aqueous solution from beneath the oil was then pulled, derivatized with dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH), and analyzed by HPLC with UV detection to be compared to the standard chromatograms generated for propionaldehyde, octanal, and hexanal. Chromatogram results from the eighteen hour irradiated BP Surrogate oil indicated that aldehydes were present after exposure to sunlight, and within the range of the aldehyde standards used based on their carbon chains. The procedure developed in this research will allow EPA and bioremediation organizations to identify toxins forming as photoproducts in an oil spill, and treat affected marine ecosystems accordingly.

همگام با گسترش فعاليت هاي صنعتي و ازدياد جمعيت، ورود فلزات سنگين به محيط هاي آبي به مقدار زيادي افزايش يافته است. فلزات
سنگين از جمله آلاينده هاي زيست محيطي هستند كه به دليل سميت و توانايي تجمع زيستي در جانداران مي توانند منجر به تأثيرات
اكولوژيكي زيادي شوند. حذف و جداسازي فلزات از محيط به طرق مختلفي انجام مي گيرد، اما اين راهكارها به دليل هزينه بر بودن و عدم
كاهش غلظت فلزات سنگين به حد استانداردهاي مقبول، مناسب نيستند. باكتري ها از جمله ميكروارگانيسم هايي هستند كه به دليل سازگاري با
طبيعت و نسبت سطح به حجم بالا براي جذب يون هاي فلزي از محيط مناسب اند. در اين تحقيق از رسوبات آلوده بندر امام خميني گونه
۱۰۰ و ۲۰۰ ميلي گرم بر ، باكتري مقاوم به نيكل جداسازي و شناسايي شد. نتايج به دست آمده، رشد باكتري در محيط كشت هاي حاوي ۵۰
شناسايي شد كه از باكتري هاي گرم Bacillus anthracis ليتر نيكل رانشان داد و بر اساس تست هاي بيوشيميايي باكتري جداسازي شده
۰) با باكتري مذكور در غلظت ۵۰ / مثبت بود. با افزايش غلظت نيكل، ميزان جذب نوري كاهش يافت و حداكثر ميزان جذب نوري ( ۳۳۱
۶۸ %، بعد از ۱۵۰ دقيقه در غلظت ۵۰ ميلي گرم بر ليتر نيكل به دست آمد. جذب / ميلي گرم بر ليتر مشاهده شد. بيشترين درصد جذب يعني ۶
نشان دهندة توانايي اين باكتري در حذف نيكل از محيط است. با توجه به عملكرد گونه مورد نظر Bacillus anthracis زيستي باكتري
مي توان براي كاهش آلودگي هاي فلز نيكل از اين باكتري استفاده كرد.

استفاده از جاذ بهاي زيستي جهت كنترل و حذف آلاينده ها از محيط در مقايسه با روش هاي فيزيكوشيميايي، روشي
مقرون به صرفه و مناسب به شمار مي آيد. در اين مطالعه با نمون هبرداري از رسوبات سطحي بندر امام خميني (ره)،
با Bacillus firmus باكتري بومي منطقه كه به فلز سرب مقاوم بود، جداسازي و شناسايي گرديد. باكتري جداسازي شده
400 و 800 ميليگرم بر ليتر اين فلز ،200 ،100 ، استفاده از تست هاي بيوشيميايي شناسايي و رشد آن در غلظ تهاي 50
بررسي شد. حداكثر رشد باكتري در غلظت 50 ميليگرم بر ليتر اين فلز بود. همچنين اين باكتري قادر به رشد در
غلظت هاي بالاي سرب تا 800 ميليگرم بر ليتر بود كه اين موضوع بيانگر مقاومت بالاي اين باكتري به فلز سرب است.
100 و 200 ميليگرم بر ليتر اين فلز بررسي ، در غلظت هاي 50 B. firmus توانايي جذب زيستي سرب توسط باكتري
گرديد و نتايج نشان داد كه اين باكتري قادر به حذف 95 درصدي سرب از محيط است. از اينرو اين باكتري جهت
پاكسازي رسوبات آلوده به فلز سرب خصوصا مناطق آلوده به اين فلز در بندر امام خميني(ره) پيشنهاد م يگردد

توسعه روزافزون صنايع مختلف منجر به ورود مقادير زيادي ضايعات خطرناك از جمله هيدروكربن هاي نفتي ب ه
محيطزيست ميشود. استفاده از روشهاي زيستي و بهكارگيري ميكروارگانيسم ها جهت پا ك سازي آلاينده هاي
محيطي از جمله مواد نفتي بيش از ساير روشها مورد توجه است. تحقيق حاضر با هدف جداسازي و شناسايي
باكتريهاي تجزيه كننده آنتراسن و مقايسه توانايي آنها در حذف اين ماده انجام شد. به اين منظور پس از
نمونهبرداري از رسوبات آلوده نفتي خليج فارس و انجام مراحل غني سازي، باكتري هاي مقاوم به ماده فوق
جداسازي و سپس خالص سازي شدند. با مطالعه ويژگي هاي مورفولوژيكي و انجام آزمايشهاي بيوشيميايي
هستند. بررسي ميزان رشد Alcaligenes denitrificans و Psedomonas stutzeri ، مشخص شد كه گون ه ها
باكتريها توسط دستگاه اسپكتروفتومتري حاكي از رشد اين باكتريها در سوبستراي كربني فوق بود. اندازه گيري
نشان داد ميزان تجزيهكنندگي پس از 120 ساعت براي گونه هاي HPLC كاهش ميزان سوبسترا بهوسيله دستگاه
35 بوده است كه در مقايسه با تجزيه اي كه در شرايط / 80 و 933 / بهترتيب 295 A. denitrificans و P. stutzeri
مشابه ولي در عدم حضور اين باكتريها صورت گرفت نتيجه چشمگيري است. به طوركلي نتايج نشان مي دهد كه
باكتريهاي جداشده در حذف اين آلاينده از محيط كشت توانا بوده و بنابراين اين گونه ها را براي انجام آزمايش
هاي ميداني پيشنهاد كرده و در شرايط آلودگي بالا از آنها استفاده كرد

Lignin is an important constitute of the wood and thus the organism like fungi
and insects growing on wood produce some extracellular lignolytic enzymes. In fungi
these enzymes include different oxidases and peroxidases. Lignin peroxidases, manganese
peroxidases, versatile peroxidases and laccases have been characterised from fungi and
their roles in wood decay has been established. Here we report ABTS-oxidases from an
unidentified fungus isolated from tree bark sample from Kuantan, Malaysia. After the
liquid media cultivation, the crude extracellular protein content was extracted and
analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. SDS-PAGE, native PAGE and zymography
were carried out. Azo dyes, brilliant green, trypan blue, direct red 80 and eriochrome
black T were used for decolourisation activity of the isolated fungus on solid medium.
The results suggest that the extracellular proteins contain laccase enzyme activity. Out of
the four azo dyes that were used for dye decolourisation assay, at least three were
decolourised to different extents by the fungus.

Over the past decade diatoms are screened for high lipid content. Geologists claim that much of crude
oil comes from diatoms. In this study diatom Navicula cryptocephala, isolated from fresh water source
was grown on suitable media for extracting and characterizing the oil for biodiesel production. Three
methods namely, shake flask, polythene bag and photobioreactor were adopted for culturing the
diatom. The maximum yield of biomass was obtained in photobioreactor (5.95 g/ 100 ml of media).
Compound microscope and electron microscopic studies were carried out to identify the diatom. Both
soxhlet and sonication methods were used for extraction of oil from the diatom biomass. The yield of
oil is higher in sonication method (0.364 g/g of dry biomass). Further characterization of oil using gas
chromatography showed the presence of Palmitic acid, Oleic acid, Palmitolic acid and linoleic acid as
major fatty acids. HPLC analysis of crude oil showed the presence of OLL (dilinoleoyloleoylglycerol)
and OOL (linoleoyldioleoylglycerol) as major triacylglycerols (TAGs).

Water quality is largely influenced by the abundance and diversity of indigenous microbes present within an aquatic environment. Physical, chemical and biological contaminants from anthropogenic activities can accumulate in aquatic systems causing detrimental ecological consequences. Approaches exploiting microbial processes are now being utilized for the detection, and removal or reduction of contaminants. Contaminants can be identified and quantified in situ using microbial whole-cell biosensors, negating the need for water samples to be tested off-site. Similarly, the innate biodegradative processes can be enhanced through manipulation of the composition and/or function of the indigenous microbial communities present within the contaminated environments. Biological contaminants, such as detrimental/pathogenic bacteria, can be specifically targeted and reduced in number using bacteriophages. This mini-review discusses the potential application of whole-cell microbial biosensors for the detection of contaminants, the exploitation of microbial biodegradative processes for environmental restoration and the manipulation of microbial communities using phages.

The availability of arsenic in ground water and potable water accounts many toxic effects on human health because of its high toxicity level; it has become a global concern. Previously to decrease As (III) concentration in water various removal methods were explored. In the present study baker yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, used as a biosorbate to remediate the Arsenic (III) in the ground water, its capability was examined to sequester the metal ions from the arsenic contaminated water. Initially yeast was grown in YEPD medium and synthetic solution of As (III) was prepared in 3 different conc. 0.2 mg/l, 0.3 mg/l and 0.4 mg/l respectively. Systematic batch kinetic experiments were conducted with various process parameters such as agitation period, pH, and temperature; all the parameters were studied and found that Saccharomyces cerevisiae had very fine competence towards arsenic removal from the contaminated water under optimized condition of agitation period 120 hours, temperature 55ºC and pH 6 were maintained. Removal of As (III) from supernatant was analyzed using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. It has been found that the percentage removal of Arsenic species (III) increases with decrease in YPD media and Saccharomyces cerevisiae removed 82.2%, 87.8% and 90.46% with respect to different concentration of synthetic solution of As (III) and it is highly effective method for the As (III) removal from the contaminated water.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the  production of laccase from a white rot fungi isolated from  the  Amazon  forest for oxidation of  Remazol  Brilliant  Blue-R  (RBB-R).  Initially, a  small  screening was  carried  out aiming  to  find  laccase  producers.  The  next  step  was  to  investigate,  using  factorial design  and Response  Surface Methodology  (RSM),  the  influence  of  the  content  of glucose,  peptone and CuSO4 in the production of laccase by the selected fungi. Subsequently, the ability of the produced laccases to oxidize RBB-R was investigated. As a result, Agaricomycete (UFAM1) presented the highest laccase production (117.2 U/L) in the screening assay. Using the factorial design and surface responses was possible to determine the best conditions for laccase production by Agaricomycete (UFAM1). Then, the excellent medium to produce laccase was composed of glucose- 20 g/L, peptone- 10 g/L and CuSO4 - 500  µM.  However,  in  the  RBBR  decolourization  assays,  the  filtered  of  the  culture  promoted  a decolourization activity  of  2 U/L.  This  is  the  first research that demonstrates a  fungal  strain  from the Amazon forest  able  to  produce  high  levels of  laccase,  without  demonstrating  metabolic  repression  to high  contents  of  carbon  and  nitrogen sources  and  that the  produced  laccases  are  able  to  cause oxidative degradation of RBB-R, an important model of recalcitrant compound.

Bioremediation is the process by which microorganisms are used to degrade toxic material. It can be classified according to the location of treatment and according to the bodies performing degradation. If it is according to their location may be in – situ and ex-situ but in the branch of according to the bodies that made the degradation we have phytoremediation, zooremediation and microbial bioremediation.

It has become one of the most viable for the recovery of contaminated soils and groundwater options because it is a more economical and effective technique, without generating secondary environmental impacts.

The application of bioremediation and the choice of organism depends on the concentration of pollution. When the action of pollutants exceeds the degradation of organisms, bioremediation is no longer feasible.

Studies on removal of nutrients from domestic wastewater using water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and water lettuce (Pista stratiotes) were conducted. The plants were grown in 68 L of wastewater with 21-day retention period in fiber-glass tanks with another similar tank as control. Eichhornia crassipes performed better than P. stratiotes in reducing the concentrations of nitrate-nitrogen and ortho-phosphates while P. stratiotes performed better than E. crassipes in reducing the concentrations of ammoniacal-nitrogen (NH4-N) and nitrite-nitrogen. On average, E. crassipes reduced the NH4-N concentration by 72%, P. stratiotes reduced the concentration by 83% and the concentration in the control was reduced by 95%. On average, E. crassipes reduced the phosphate concentration by 55%, P. stratiotes reduced the concentration by 60% and the concentration in the control increased by 28%. Algae significantly reduced the concentration of NH4-N.

Link to full text articles :
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/clen.201200254/abstract 

Release of toxic heavy metals as a result of industrial activities into the environment pose
hazardous effects to aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Bioremediation, a biological processes degrade, break
down, transform, and/or essentially remove contaminants or impairments of quality from soil and water. It is a
natural process which relies on bacteria, fungi and algae to alter the contaminants as these organisms carry out
their normal functions. The organisms are capable of using chemical contaminants as an energy source,
rendering the contaminants harmless or less toxic products for metabolic processes. Now-a-days many low cost
biosorbents such as algae, fungi, bacteria and agricultural byproducts have been investigated for their sorption
efficiency towards heavy metals. The paper summarizes the general processes of bioremediation in the
environment, focusing on biodegradation of heavy metals.

Breast cancer is being placed at second after skin cancer. Breast cancer is the one of most leading cause of death in women approximately one is affected out of every eight women and as one male out of eight thousand is reported to be affected. The history of Breast cancer is so far relates to 1800’s century affecting the royal families of Europe and England. Samples that were collected through questionnaire from those patients that had positive signs of Breast cancer mostly all those patients that were enrolled in this studies were probably affected as on scale of age distribution as that most of patients were above the age of thirties and in same those female that had menarche at early age have positive  symptoms of Breast cancer in this way family history had somehow 50% of chance to get through to their offspring as a positive early age Breast cancer patients
Anticancer Drugs that were used also had some effects one patient as considered as side factors or side effects that cause some rash or discomfort to the patient. Marriage at early age, first child birth before age 25, breast feeding child for 2 years are the precautions for newly age female in order to keep away from this dreadful disease.