Charcoal-coated bacteria clean toxic pollution from soil faster
Gao G, Hou X, Ma J, Cui Y, Zhai Y
Phytoremediation
If you garden near an old industrial lot, a former gas station, or a well-traveled roadside, the soil may carry PAH pollutants like phenanthrene, and this research points toward a cheap, bacteria-and-charcoal fix that doesn't require hauling away contaminated dirt.
Researchers discovered a bacterium called Proteus GH-2 that can eat its way through phenanthrene, a harmful chemical that builds up in soil from burning coal, oil, and wood. They boosted its cleanup power by gluing the bacteria onto a treated form of charcoal, which acts like a sponge and home base for the microbes. In contaminated soil, this charcoal-bacteria combo removed 82% of the pollution in four weeks, compared to 71% from bacteria working alone.
Key Findings
Proteus sp. GH-2 degrades phenanthrene via the phthalic acid metabolic pathway, confirmed through HPLC-MS intermediate analysis
Humic acid-modified biochar increased oxygen-containing functional groups and surface hydrophilicity, allowing it to adsorb more bacteria (confirmed by FT-IR, XPS, and SEM)
Immobilized bacteria removed 82.4% of phenanthrene from contaminated soil in 28 days, versus 70.8% for free-living bacteria
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found a bacterium that breaks down phenanthrene, a toxic pollutant from oil, coal, and car exhaust. Coating the bacteria onto a specially treated charcoal material let them clean up 82% of the contamination in soil within 28 days, far better than the bacteria alone.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Humic acid modified biochar enhances the degradation of phenanthrene by Proteus sp. GH-2.
Phenanthrene is a typical polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons（PAHs）pollutant which long-term persistence poses significant hazards to both the environment and human health. The utilisation of microorg...
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