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P.

Suganthi
II-M.Sc Eco biotechnology
Bharathidasan University
Trichy.

E-mail:opgksuga@gmail.com
What is bioremediation?

• Bioremediation is a treatment process that uses naturally occurring


microorganisms (yeast, fungi, or bacteria) to break down, or degrade,
hazardous substances into less toxic or nontoxic substances.
• Microorganisms, just like humans, eat and digest organic substances
for nutrients and energy.
• In chemical terms, "organic" compounds are those that contain
carbon and hydrogen atoms.
• microorganisms can digest organic substances such as fuels or
solvents that are hazardous to humans.

• What is phytoremediation?
• Phytoremediation can be defined as the use of green plants to remove
pollutants from the environment or to render them harmless
Phytoremediation
• Phytoremediation is a form of bioremediation and applies to all
chemical or physical processes that involve plants for
degrading or immobilizing contaminants in soil and ground
water.

• “Phyton“ = Plant (in greek)


• “Remediare“ = To remedy (in latin).

Types of phytoremediation

Six main types


They are……..
Types of Phytoremediation

Phytoaccumulatin Phytostabilization
Rhizodegradation
Phytodegradation
Phytovolatilization Rhizofiltration
The phytoextraction operation
Chemicals
Biopump added
grown Plant
material harvested
and burnt to
2+ 2+
produce bio-ore
2+
Ni +
Au Cu Pd

Bio-ore Bio-ore
smelted landfilled

Phytomining Phytoremediation
Phytostabilization
• Phytostabilization is the use of
plants to stabilize the soil
matrix itself and immobilize the
contaminant from future
migration

• Plants control pH, soil gases,


and redox conditions in soil to
immobilize contaminants.

• Humification of some organic


compounds is expected.
• Phytovolatilization
• Plants take up volatile
compounds through their
roots, and transpire the same
compounds, or their
metabolites, through the
leaves, thereby releasing
them into the atmosphere
• .

• Phytodegradation
• Contaminants are taken up
into the plant tissues where
they are metabolized, or
biotransformed.

• Where the transformation


takes place depends on the
type of plant, and can occur in
roots, stem or leaves.
Water and metals out Sugars and organic material
of the soil - into the soil -
Phytoextraction Phytodegradation/stabilisation

Biopumps

• Phytoextraction – • Phytodegradation and


plant removal of: stabilisation enhanced by:
– water – soil aeration
– nitrates, phosphates – plant exudates
– heavy-metals – soil microbiota stimulated
– some organic nasties by plant exudates
• Rhizodegradation
• It also called phytostimulation,
rhizosphere biodegradation, or
plant-assisted bioremediation
/degradation, is the breakdown
of contaminants in the soil
through microbial activity that is
enhanced by the presence of the
rhizosphere.

• Microorganisms (yeast, fungi,


and/or bacteria) consume and
degrade or transform organic
substances for use as nutrient
substances.
• Rhizofiltration
• It is the adsorption or
precipitation of contaminants
onto plant roots or the
absorption of contaminants
into the roots when
contaminants are in solution
surrounding the root zone.

• The plants are raised in


greenhouses hydroponically
(with their roots in water rather
than in soil).
Overview of Phytoremediation
Mechanisms for Organic and
Inorganic
Sources of heavy metal in the environment

Textiles Waste Pesticides

Sediment from wastewater treatment plant


Municipal and Industrial waste
Development vs Environment & Health
Industrialization Urbanization Waste Water AtmospherePrimary pollutants
(NOx,VOCs)
Secondary pollutants (oxidants,
fineparticulates

Solid Waste

Exhaust gases

Intensive agriculture

Agro-products
Soil Plant

Agrochemicals

Water

Rapid development
Environment
Plant species………….of Phytoremediation
Approximately 400 plant species from at least 45 plant
families have been reported to hyperaccumulate metals
Water Hyacinth in Sewage Discharge Ponds
• Due to the growth of water hyacinth, excess nutrients in the water column
are removed.

• Heavy metals in the sewage water is also taken up by water hyacinth.

• This is most essential aspect of sewage water treatment, which requires


no chemicals or, electrical energy.

• Heavy metals cause many health hazards to human kind such as cancer,
kidney disorder, hypertension, hormone imbalance (which has severe
consequence on human reproductive mechanism), nervous disorder, etc.
• Under conventional treatment procedure, organic manure is produced
before removing heavy metals

• Two problems are solved in a single step:

• Excess nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrate are removed

• Toxic heavy metals are also removed from entering the ecosystem.
Phytoremediation of mixed-contaminated soil using the hyperaccumulator plant
Alyssum lesbiacum: Evidence of histidine as a measure of phytoextractable nickel

Effects of Ni addition on shoot dry weight (a) and the concentration of Ni


Alyssum lesbiacum in the shoots (b). The concentration of Ni was determined with
ICP-AES
Phytostabilization of Mine Tailings in Arid and Semiarid Environments
An Emerging Remediation Technology
Phytoremediation of Hexavalent Chromium Polluted Soil Using
Pterocarpus indicus and Jatropha curcas

• Phytoremediation of chromium polluted soil using local and potential


plants poses a number of unique interlink advantages particularly for
Surabaya as well as other big cities in Indonesia
• Pterocarpus indicus and Jatropha curcas were able to remediate
hexavalent chromium polluted soil of less than 90 mg KgG1.
• Jatropha was planted in hexavalent chromium polluted soil because
Jatropha could remediate higher concentration than Pterocarpus

Pterocarpus indicus Jatropha curcas


Cont….
Metal Phytoremediation potential of
Rhizophora mucronata
Cont………..
Improve Phytoremediation using Genetic
Engineering.
Metals
• Introduce genes encoding
transport proteins.
• IRT1 iron transporter
• MRP1 Mg-ATPase transporter
• High affinity Zn transporter from • Introduce genes to change the
Thalassiosira weissflogii oxidation state of metals.
Introduce genes encoding metal-
• mercuric reductases
sequestering proteins or
peptides. • selenium methylation
• Phytochelatins (e.g., cad1) enzymes
• • Organics
Metallothioneins
• • Introduce genes encoding key
Introduce genes to enhance
metal transport into roots, and biodegradative enzymes (plant
from roots to other plant and microbial origin).
biomass. • Laccases
• Genes encoding metal chelators • Dehalogenases
Before….….. After
Phytoremediation Advantages:
- Low cost
- Well suited for use at very large field sites
- Transfer is faster than natural attenuation
- High public acceptance
- Fewer air and water emissions
- Soils remain in place and are usable following
treatment
- Compatible with engineered technologies
Phytoremediation Applications
Phytoremediation Limitations
- Long duration of time for remediation
- Not all compounds are susceptible to
rapid and complete degradation
- High concentrations of hazardous
materials can be toxic to plants
- Effective only for moderately
hydrophobic contaminants
- Toxicity and bioavailability of
degradation products is not known
- Potential for contaminants to enter food
chain through animal consumption
- Hyperaccumulators are often slow
growers
- Need to dispose plant biomass
Thank you

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