The Contribution of Pyrene Degrading Bacteria and Chemical Reagents to Scirpus triqueter Phytoremediation of Pyrene and Ni Co-contaminated Soil

Abstract

Phytoremediation of organic pollutant and heavy metal (HM) co-contaminated soils shows many advantages and can be improved by adding chemical reagents or inoculating with degrading bacteria. In this study, pot culture experiments were performed to explore the effects of chemical reagents (nitrilotriacetic acid and alkyl polyglucoside), pyrene degrading bacteria HD-1, and their combination on phytoremediation efficiency for pyrene and nickel (Ni) co-contaminated soil by Scirpus triqueter. After a 60-day culture, plant biomass, pyrene dissipation from soil, Ni accumulation in plant, and Ni accessibility in co-contaminated soil were determined. Results showed that although the application of chemical reagents alone had no apparent effect on plant growth, their combination with the introduced HD-1 alleviated the inhibition effects on plant growth in co-contaminated soil. The dissipation of pyrene in the soil with plant (P), soil with bacteria (NPB), soil with chemical reagents (NPC) and soil with both of them (PBC) were 35.49, 51.36, 42.89, and 59.78%, respectively, and were higher than NP (19.52%) with neither of them. The Ni concentration in Scirpus triqueter of group with bacteria (PB), group with chemical reagents (PC) and group PBC increased to 100.40, 80.97 and 87.77 mg kg−1 respectively when compared with that of group P (46.04 mg kg−1) without bacteria or chemical reagents. Besides, inoculation with HD-1 or/and adding chemical reagents caused Ni to shift from less bioavailable forms to more bioavailable forms. This study suggested the contribution of pyrene degrading bacteria and chemical reagents to Scirpus triqueter phytoremediation of pyrene and Ni co-contaminated soil.