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Assistant Professor College of Biological and Chemical Engineering Department of Biotechnology Phone:0902643433

This document discusses phytoremediation, which uses plants to remove pollutants from soil, water, and air. It covers the principles of how plants uptake and concentrate contaminants, criteria for suitable plants, examples of plants used for different pollutants, and advantages and disadvantages. Genetic engineering can improve phytoremediation by increasing plants' tolerance or ability to uptake pollutants. Other bioremediation methods covered include rhizofiltration, phycoremediation using algae, and bioreactors for gaseous pollutants. The document provides an overview of learning outcomes and techniques in phytoremediation and bioremediation.

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50 views

Assistant Professor College of Biological and Chemical Engineering Department of Biotechnology Phone:0902643433

This document discusses phytoremediation, which uses plants to remove pollutants from soil, water, and air. It covers the principles of how plants uptake and concentrate contaminants, criteria for suitable plants, examples of plants used for different pollutants, and advantages and disadvantages. Genetic engineering can improve phytoremediation by increasing plants' tolerance or ability to uptake pollutants. Other bioremediation methods covered include rhizofiltration, phycoremediation using algae, and bioreactors for gaseous pollutants. The document provides an overview of learning outcomes and techniques in phytoremediation and bioremediation.

Uploaded by

eyob
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Dr. A. Suresh Ph.

D
Assistant Professor
College of Biological and Chemical Engineering
Department of Biotechnology
Phone:0902643433, [email protected]
Chapter 4 Learning Outcomes
After completion of the Chapter 4 the student is expected to be
able to:

CLO1: Can able to explain phytoremediation and its different


types

CLO2: Understanding genetic engineering and its important


in phytoremediation

CLO3: Screen the suitable plant for the particular pollutants

CLO4: Explain phytoremediation advantages and


disadvantages

CLO5: Understand gaseous pollution and its bioremediation


What is Phytoremediation
• Phytoremediation is the use of living green
plants for in-situ risk reduction and/or
removal of contaminants from contaminated
soil, water, sediments, and air.

Source:
http://theconversation.com/we
alth-from-waste-three-ways-
pollution-can-be-turned-into-
something-useful-114448
The Principle
• Use plants to "vacuum"
heavy metals and other
pollutants from the
contaminate medium
through their roots

 Certain species have the


ability to extract elements
from the soil and
concentrate them in the Huang Z, Lu Q, Wang J, Chen X, Mao X, He Z
stems, shoots, and leaves (2017) Inhibition of the bioavailability of heavy
metals in sewage sludge biochar by adding two
stabilizers. PLoS ONE 12(8): e0183617.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0183617
 The unique plants must be able to tolerate
and survive high levels of heavy metals in
soils-like zinc, cadmium, and nickel.

 These plants possess genes that regulate the


amount of metals taken up from the soil by
roots and deposited at other locations within
the plant. Metallothionein

 Some contaminants also changed into safer


gases as plant transpires
Criteria
 Plant should be tolerant of the pollutant
 Grow rapid
 High yield
 Accumulate pollutants in harvestable part
 Have profuse roots system
 High conversion factor (conc. of pollutant in the plant
compared to the EnV.)

Most plant have less than 1

It should be around 20 or above for the phytoremediation

Hyper accumulators (50-100 times more)


Advantages
1. Aesthetically pleasing option/public acceptance
2. Low disruption to top soil
3. Effective even in low contaminants
4. Offers to possible recovery
5. Low cost/easy
6. Minimum maintenance

Disadvantages

Slower (plant growth)


Seasonal
Accumulated plant hazard to wild life (food chain)
plant Heavy metal Accumulation
amount
Thlaspi caerulescens Cd and Zn 10k-15k mg/kg
Alyssum sp. Ni 4-24k
Pteris vittata As 22k
Brassica junica Pb 10-15k
Arabidopsis halleri Cd 6-31k
Plants conc. Metals in the vacuole or by
chelation of the metals by adsorption, transport,
and translocation to the area where large
quantities of metals can be stored.

Hyperaccumulator: Have peptides


metallothioneins and phytochelatins which are
stimulated by metals and more expression.

Metals binds to the organic sulphur in cystein


the aminoacids (which are large number in the
peptides)
Rhizofilteration (with
microbes)
Stems/leaves/roots—They
have high affinity chemical
receptor for
HM/TNT/TCE/BTEX
Grass
Vetiver grass (vetiveria zizaniodes)----Cd and Pb
Bana grass (Pennisetum glaucum)

Aquatic plant
Azolla pinnata (water velvet)---Zn
Lemna minor (duck weed)-----Zn
Eichhornia (water hyacinth)---Cu

Trees
Willow-Cd/ poplar/alder/Birch

Alyssum sp. and Alfalfa sp., commercial operation for


phytomining

Mechanisms still under investigation


Cr6+ (toxic) to Cr3+ (non toxic)
Prevent dispersion of metals
and reduce the mobility by
adsorption and precipitation
Glutathione-S-Conjugate transfer system for
partial degradation to less toxic or complete
degradation

Aliphatic dehalogenases for TCE

 RDX/TNT and nitroglycerine to CO2, NH3, NO3 by


nitroreductase/dehalogenase, Laccase, Nitrilase

Xenobiotic compounds can be oxidized by


Cytochrome P450 and peroxidase
Convert metal ions to more volatile species,
which can reduce toxicity and aid disposal
through the stomata

TCE---MTBE (methyl t-butyl ether by


Eucalyptus)
Selenium----Dimethyl selenide by Indian
mustard
Methyl Hg---mercury vapor
by tobacco
By roots as well as root microbes and combined

•Rhizosphere microorganisms also involved


(wet land plants used, common Reed—
Phragmites, Typha latifolia, Lemna minor (duck weed), Elodia canadensis)
Rhizostimulation

•PGPR-plant growth promoting rhizobacteria


•Mycorrhizae

•20% more photosynthetic yield by secreting


enzymes to dissolve insoluble nutrients,
produce growth hormones (gibberellins,
auxin, cytokines), N2 fixation)
PHYCOREMEDIATION

Utilization of macro and microalgae for the removal of contaminants

Nutrient removal, bioabsorbants, acid and metal WW, CO2


sequestration, xenobiotic degradation and biosensor

Need good mixing and light


Many designs of reactor( raceway pond, photobioreactors, RBC)
Removal of final biomass—expensive
Biomass for value added purpose (fuel, protein, feed)

Tributylin removed by algae (Chlorella sorokiniana, Scenedesmus sp.)


from WW by adsorption at cell surface
Metal---Chlorella vulgaris
Application of Genetic engineering in
Phytoremediation
Phytochelatin synthase gene expressed in Nicotinna sp.,
increased tolerance to Pb and Cd
YCF1 gene-code for glutathione –S- conjugate, over expression in
Arabidopsis thaliana , increased 4 times more accumulation of Cd
and Cr in vacuole

merR- mercury reductase gene- made Hg resistant plant and


convert volatile Hg and send to atmosphere

niR-nitrate reductase gene,-over expression of of niR increased


NOx assimilation

Pentaerythriotol teranitrate reductase gene from bacteria to


tobacco plant and degrade glyceral trinitrate an explosive chemical
Gaseous bioremediation
Volatile organic compounds

NH4, H2S, SOx, NOx, CFC, GHG (CO2, CH4)


Gases send to the vessels in which
pollutants dissolve in water then microbes
can eat
Mostly using the biofilter reactor, where
gas is passed through the filter where
microbial biofilms eat, mean time addition
of nutrients is needed
BIOFILTER TRICKLING FILTER

MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR
Future Strategies and Challenges for
Bioremediation

• Recovering Valuable Metals

• Bioremediation of Radioactive
Wastes
What we have learned
today?

Thank YOU

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