Accumulation and subcellular distribution of cadmium in rygegrass induced by Aspergillus niger TL-F2 and Aspergillus flavus TL-F3.

Although plant growth-promoting fungi can greatly accelerate the ryegrass bioaccumulation of cadmium (Cd), the underlying mechanisms are not yet well documented. Therefore, we performed a 20-days hydroponic experiment to investigate the effects of Aspergillus niger TL-F2 (A. niger TL-F2) and Aspergillus flavus TL-F3 (A. flavus TL-F3) on accumulation/subcellular distribution of Cd by annual ryegrass Dongmu 70 at different Cd concentrations (0, 2.5, and 5 mg L-1). Results indicated that both fungal strains promoted ryegrass biomass/growth by about 60%. Furthermore, we found that ryegrass roots (17.8-37.1 µg pot-1) had a significantly higher capability for Cd uptake than the shoots (1.66-5.45 µg pot-1) (p < 0.05). Of total Cd in ryegrass plants, 44-67% was in soluble form, 24-37% was in cell wall, and 8.5-25.5% was in organelles. Compared with non-fungus ryegrass, cell wall and soluble Cd fractions in fungus-inoculated roots increased and decreased by 13.5-44% and 21.5-26.4%, respectively. Besides, fungus inoculation generally increased the content of cell wall and soluble Cd fractions in ryegrass shoots. Altogether, the study concludes that inoculation of fungus in ryegrass is a promising approach to improve phytoremediation of Cd contaminated environments.Novelty statement Previous study by Han et al. (2018) examined the resistance of ryegrass plant to Cd stress after its inoculation with Aspergillus aculeatus. In this study, using a hydroponic experiment, we examined the effects of co-application of two species of Aspergillus fungi. i.e. A. niger TL-F2 and A. flavus TL-F3 on ryegrass growth/biomass, Cd absorption by ryegrass shoots and roots, and subcellular distribution of Cd in ryegrass roots and shoots.

Adsorption of As(III), Pb(II), and Zn(II) from Wastewater by Sodium Alginate Modified Materials.

Sodium alginate (SA), polyvinyl oxide (PEO), and ceramic nanomaterials were used to prepare alginate composite gel. The present study examined the removal rate and adsorption capacity of alginate composite gel for removal of wastewater As(III), Pb(II), and Zn(II). Batch experiments were conducted to study the influence of experimental parameters such as pH and temperature, as well as the mechanism of As(III), Pb(II), and Zn(II) adsorption with the new adsorbent. The results showed the high efficiency of sodium alginate composite gel for removal of wastewater As(III), Pb(II), and Zn(II). Under the condition of the best liquid-solid ratio and the contact time, the removal rates of As(III), Pb(II), and Zn(II) were 67.42%, 95.31%, and 93.96%, respectively. The pseudo-second-order kinetic equation was superior to fit the adsorption kinetics process. The isothermal adsorption models of As(III) and Pb(II) fitted well with the Freundlich model, and Zn(II) fitted well with the Langmuir model. The results of SEM, EDS, XPS, and FTIR analyses revealed that the adsorption process occurred mainly via chemisorption. The results of the present study suggest that new adsorbents can be effectively utilized for As(III), Pb(II), and Zn(II) removal from water.

Cadmium uptake and transfer by Sedum plumbizincicola using EDTA, tea saponin, and citric acid as activators.

Sedum plumbizincicola (S. plumbizincicola) is known as a sufficient plant for phytoremediation of cadmium (Cd) polluted soils. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), tea saponin (TS), and citric acid (CA) on Cd uptake and translocation by S. plumbizincicola. To do so, using a pot experiment, we set four concentration levels of activators (1, 3, 5, and 10 mmol L-1) and a control (CK). Results showed that none of the applied activators had significant impact on soil pH. Except for CA-10, the concentration of available Cd in Cd polluted soils increased by 65.8-72.9% compared with CK. The EDTA-1, CA-1, and TS-5 treatments caused significant increases of 52.3, 67.2, and 38.4%, respectively, in the biomass of aerial parts of S. plumbizincicola (p < 0.05) compared with CK. Except for CA-3, activators increased Cd accumulation in the aerial parts of plants by 47-124% compared with CK. Of all activators, EDTA-3 caused the highest Cd accumulation of 6.64 g pot-1 in the aerial plant tissues followed by CA-10 (6.25 g pot-1) and TS-1 (5.48 g pot-1). Finally, our results suggested that the application of S. plumbizincicola together with different activators sufficiently reduced soil total Cd by 4.64-48.4% compared with CK. These findings suggest that appropriate application of EDTA, TS, and CA can promote phytoremediation of Cd contaminated soils by hyper-accumulators. In particular, the combined use of EDTA and S. plumbizincicola is an affordable and promising strategy for remediation of Cd contaminated soil.Novelty statement: Sedum plumbizincicola (S. plumbizincicola) is a well-known hyper-accumulator plant for remediation of cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) contaminated soils. In addition, low molecular rganic acids and macromolecular chelating agents can improve the solubility and leaching of soil heavy metals. In the present work, we examined the combined effects of three activators (EDTA, tea saponin, and citric acid) with S. plumbizincicola to remediate a Cd contaminated soil in Anhui Province, East China. Our results indicated the effectiveness of these activators to increase soil available Cd, as well as improving the biomass of S. plumbizincicola and its Cd uptake. We believe that this study provides an efficient approach to increase the uptake of Cd by S. plumbizincicola, restoring Cd contaminated soils. Nevertheless, excessive activators may have adverse effects on soil aggregates and soil microorganisms. Therefore, it is necessary to control the amount of chelating agents and subsequently the deterioration of soil quality.