Biodegradable Chelating Research Articles

Performance of new biodegradable chelants in enhancing phytoextraction of heavy metals from a contaminated calcareous soil.

Chelant-assisted phytoextraction has widely been exploited as a feasible option for removing heavy metals from the contaminated soils. Some synthetic chelants have shown promising performances for this option, but they have also revealed several negative environmental consequences. This study has sought to investigate the feasibility of two biodegradable eco-friendly chelants, namely methylglycinediacetic acid (MGDA) and N,N-Bis(carboxymethyl)-L-glutamic acid (GLDA), as compared to the resistant ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), in enhancing phytoextraction of Zn and Pb from a contaminated calcareous soil. For this purpose, a greenhouse experiment was carried out comparing the growth and metal absorption of maize (Zea mays L.) grown on soils treated with EDTA, MGDA, and GLDA chelants at 2, 4 and 8 mmol kg- 1 levels. Results showed that the heavy metal uptakes by the plant shoots generally increased with increasing the chelant application level. Pb uptake by maize shoots increased from 10.6 mg plant- 1 in control to 416, 398, and 416 mg plant- 1 in the soils treated with 8 mmol kg- 1 MGDA, GLDA, and EDTA, respectively. The corresponding increases in Zn uptake were from 100.9 mg plant- 1 to 798.9, 718.9, and 530.4 mg plant- 1 in the MGDA-, GLDA-, and EDTA-amended soils, respectively. Moreover, the amounts of water-extractable, and thereby potentially leachable, Pb and Zn in the post-harvest soil were considerably greater in the soil treated with EDTA than those treated with MGDA and GLDA. Therefore, MGDA and GLDA would be potential alternatives to environmentally-persistent EDTA for enhanced metal phytoextraction from contaminated soils.

BIODEGRADABLE CHELANTS FOR HEAVY METAL REMOVAL FROM SLUDGE AND SOIL-SLUDGE MIXTURES

Heavy metal extraction study was performed using five chelating agents with different biodegradability: EDTA, EDDS, MGDA, SCLC and citric acid. Aminopolycarboxylic acids EDDS and MGDA showed high heavy metal extraction capability from sewage sludge and sludge-soil mixtures. According to heavy metal removal efficiency investigated chelants can be ranked in the following order: EDTA≈ EDDS≈ MGDA> CA> SCLC. Extraction efficiency from sludge mixtures with clay soil was markedly lower than from the mixtures with sandy soil. Biodegradability of EDTA, MGDA, EDDS and CA was evaluated measuring BOD in water environment over 28 day period. According to the results of biodegradability test after 28 days the ranking order of the chelants was following: EDDS (99%)> CA (32.4%)> MGDA (29.2%)> EDTA (14.9%). Results showed that significantly easier than EDTA biodegradable chelating agents, such as EDDS and MGDA, can be successfully used for heavy metal removal from sewage sludge as well as metal-contaminated soil. &nbsp

Soil washing with biodegradable chelating agents and EDTA: Technological feasibility, remediation efficiency and environmental sustainability

In washing soils contaminated with toxic metals, the replacement of recalcitrant EDTA with biodegradable chelators has gained high expectations. Herein we investigated the feasibility of using EDTA and biodegradable GLDA, EDDS and IDS under conditions pertinent to operational remediation technology, in a pilot-scale experiment. GLDA and IDS did not precipitate from process solutions, which lessened their recyclability. In other process parameters, chelator supplement, Na-saturation of process solutions and processing time, EDTA outperformed biodegradable chelators. Treatment with EDTA was also the most effective in total Pb and Zn removal and least impacted soil properties. GLDA was slightly better in Cd removal. EDDS and IDS were inefficient. All chelators effectively removed easily-available Pb, Zn and Cd from the exchangeable soil fraction. EDTA was the most efficient chelator in reducing the bioaccessibility of Pb and GLDA in reducing the bioaccessibility of Cd from simulated human gastrointestinal tract. Treatment with GLDA had an edge in reducing plant bioaccessibility of toxic metals, but induced worrying leachability of Pb. This was 8.3-times higher than with the process with EDTA and 3.4-times higher than in original soil. In general, our results demonstrate the advantage of EDTA over tested biodegradable chelators in process and remediation efficiency and environmental safety.

Scale-up of electrokinetic process for dredged sediments remediation

Most of electrokinetic remediation (EKR) reported researchs were performed on small-scale laboratory devices and less field-scale studies are available in literature. Understanding the scaling-up process is essential for the application of the EKR at field scale. This paper presents the results of laboratory experiments performed at two scales (involving 0.4 kg and 40 kg of dredged sediment) to evaluate the potential of EKR process on both organic and inorganic contaminants, and the scaling-up effect. Mixtures of eco-friendly enhancing additives were used: a biodegradable chelating agent (citric acid) combined with a nonionic surfactant (Tween 20) were promising candidates for the simultaneous EK remediation of a multi-contaminated harbor sediment. The values of energy consumption from the large scale tests showed that efficient decrease of pollutant concentrations and sustainable remediation could be achieved with moderate energy costs. Obtained results also indicated that better removals of Cr, PAHs and PCBs were achieved with the large-scale device using less energy and additives. However, the distribution of the pollutants in the specimen after the EK remediation indicated that the electric field did not totally control the migration process and that the interaction with likely heterogeneity and inertial effects reduced the EK effectiveness at the large scale. This scaling-up investigation allows considering EK tests at a larger scale (field installation) with adjusted parameters from a small-scale investigation.

Application of response surface methodology for optimization of zinc elimination from a polluted soil using tartaric acid

Heavy metal wastes generated from mining activities are a major concern in developing countries such as Iran. Increasing concentrations of these metals in the soil make up a severe health hazard due to their non-degradability and toxicity. In this study, batch washing experiments were conducted in order to investigate the removal efficiency of zinc by biodegradable chelates, tartaric acid. For this purpose, soil samples were collected from the zinc contaminated soil in the region of the Angouran, Zanjan, Iran. Hence, optimization of batch washing conditions followed using a three-level central composite design approach based on the response surface methodology. The results demonstrated that the effects of pH, tartaric acid concentration, and interaction between selective factors on the zinc removal efficiency were all positive and significant (P < 0.05). An optimum zinc removal efficiency of 89.35 ±2.12% was achieved at tartaric acid concentration of 200 mM l−1, pH of 4.46, and incubation time of 120 min as the optimal conditions. Accordingly, response surface methodology is appropriately capable to determine and optimize chemical soil washing process to remediate heavy metal polluted soil.

Remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil by biodegradable chelator–induced washing: Efficiencies and mechanisms

Biodegradable chelators (BCs) are promising substitutes for conventional washing agents in the remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil with strong complexing ability and less cost. However, great challenges for the applications of BC–assisted washing still exist, such as the assessment of the factor affecting the efficiency of metal removal and the unclear of the metal removal mechanism. Batch washing was therefore explored to evaluate the potential for four BCs for removing Cd, Pb, and Zn from polluted soils. The soil spectroscopic characteristics before and after washing were also investigated. The results demonstrated that iminodisuccinic acid (ISA) and glutamate–N, N–diacetic acid (GLDA) were an appealing alternative to commonly used non–biodegradable ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, but glucomonocarbonic acid (GCA) and polyaspartic acid (PASP) were less efficient. Optimal parameters of BCs were determined to be a concentration of 50 mmol L−1, a pH of 5.0, a contact time of 120 min, and a solid/liquid ratio of 1:5, considering metal removal efficiencies and the suitable cost. A single removal washing could be up to 52.39% of Cd, 71.79% of Pb, and 34.13% of Zn from mine soil, and 98.28% of Cd, 91.10% of Pb, and 90.91% of Zn from polluted farmland soil. After washing, the intensity of heavy metal binding to soil colloids increased while the metal mobility reduced because of weakly bound fractions removed by BCs. The BCs–induced soil washing revealed that the possible mechanisms of metal removal included the acid dissolution, ion exchange, and surface complexation. Our findings highlight the potential application of especially ISA and GLDA as efficient washing agents to remove potentially toxic elements from contaminated soils.

Metabolic engineering of Amycolatopsis japonicum for optimized production of [S,S]-EDDS, a biodegradable chelator

The actinomycete Amycolatopsis japonicum is the producer of the chelating compound [S,S]-ethylenediamine-disuccinc acid (EDDS). [S,S]-EDDS is an isomer of ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA), an economically important chelating compound that suffers from an extremely poor degradability. Frequent use of the persistent EDTA in various industrial and domestic applications has caused an accumulation of EDTA in soil as well as in aqueous environments. As a consequence, EDTA is the highest concentrated anthropogenic compound present in water reservoirs. The [S,S]-form of EDDS has chelating properties similar to EDTA, however, in contrast to EDTA it is readily biodegradable. In order to compete with the cost-effective chemical synthesis of EDTA, we aimed to optimize the biotechnological production of [S,S]-EDDS in A. japonicum by using metabolic engineering approaches. Firstly, we integrated several copies of the [S,S]-EDDS biosynthetic genes into the chromosome of A. japonicum and replaced the native zinc responsive promoter with the strong synthetic constitutive promoter SP44*. Secondly, we increased the supply of O-phospho-serine, the direct precursor of [S,S]-EDDS. The combination of these approaches together with the optimized fermentation process led to a significant improvement in [S,S]-EDDS up to 9.8 g/L with a production rate of 4.3 mg/h/g DCW.

Co-inoculation effect of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria and rhizobium on EDDS assisted phytoremediation of Cu contaminated soils

Chelants application can increase the bioavailability of metals, subsequently limiting plant growth and reducing the efficiency of phytoremediation. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) and rhizobium have substantial potential to improve plant growth and plant tolerance to metal stress. We evaluated the effects of co-inoculation with a PGPR strain (Paenibacillus mucilaginosus) and a Cu-resistant rhizobium strain (Sinorhizobium meliloti) on the efficiency of biodegradable chelant (S,S-ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid; EDDS) assisted phytoremediation of a Cu contaminated soil using alfalfa. The highest total Cu extraction by alfalfa was observed in the EDDS-treated soil upon co-inoculation with the PGPR and rhizobium strains, which was 1.2 times higher than that without co-inoculation. Partial least squares path modeling identified plant oxidative damage and soil microbial biomass as the key variables influencing Cu uptake by alfalfa roots. Co-inoculation significantly reduced the oxidative damage to alfalfa by mitigating the accumulation of malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species, and improving the antioxidation capacity of the plant in the presence of EDDS. EDDS application decreased microbial diversity in the rhizosphere, whereas co-inoculation increased microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, and microbial community diversity. Increased relative abundances of Actinobacteria and Bacillus and the presence of Firmicutes taxa as potential biomarkers demonstrated that co-inoculation increased soil nutrient content, and improved plant growth. Co-inoculation with PGPR and rhizobium can be useful for altering plant–soil biochemical responses during EDDS-enhanced phytoremediation to alleviate phytotoxicity of heavy metals and improve soil biochemical activities. This study provides an effective strategy for improving phytoremediation efficiency and soil quality during chelant assisted phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils.

Phytoremediation of uranium and cadmium contaminated soils by sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) enhanced with biodegradable chelating agents

Applying biodegradable chelating agents to assist in phytoremediation is a promising method to increase the remove efficiency of metal pollutants from contaminated soils. The effects of biodegradable chelating agents on improving the phytoremediation capacity in uranium (U) and cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil was investigated using sunflowers, which were grown in pots containing soil with U and Cd added at 15 mg/kg. After 2 months of growth, citric acid (CA), oxalic acid (OA) and ethylenediamine disuccinate (EDDS) at various concentrations (0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 mmol/kg) were applied. The results showed that plant biomass decreased by 12.12% for shoot and 15.74% for root under U and Cd combined stress. Meanwhile, chelating agent treatments, especially with EDDS, enhanced U and Cd stress in plants by decreasing biomass, inhibiting photosynthesis, and increasing malondialdehyde and H2O2 levels. The U uptake of plants after CA addition was significantly greater than that after OA and EDDS addition. Nevertheless, EDDS addition has better effects on Cd uptake than CA and OA addition. U and Cd remove efficiencies reached the maximum following the application of 5.0 mmol/kg CA and 5.0 mmol/kg EDDS, which were 177.48% and 181.51% higher than that of the control, respectively. Furthermore, the bioavailable U content in soils treated with CA were higher than that in soils treated with EDDS, whereas bioavailable Cd content significantly increased due to EDDS addition. These results suggest that biodegradable chelating agents have significant effects on improving the U and Cd phytoremediation potential of sunflowers.

Phytoextraction of cobalt (Co)-contaminated soils by sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv.) is enhanced by biodegradable chelating agents

Combining biodegradable chelating agents with phytoextraction is an efficient technique to amend metal-contaminated soils, but most studies have addressed remediation efficiency rather than a comprehensive understanding of the interactions among plant stress, metal accumulation, and metal bioavailability. This study aimed to investigate the effects of biodegradable chelating agents on improving the efficiency of phytoextraction for cobalt (Co)-contaminated soil by sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima (L.)) and to explore the interrelationships among plant stress, Co accumulation, and Co bioavailability. Sweet alyssum (three plants per pot) was grown in pots containing soil with Co added at 0, 40, and 60 mg kg−1, respectively. After 70 days of growth, we added four biodegradable chelating agents (EDDS, NTA, CA, and OA) at various concentrations (0, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mmol kg−1). The plants were harvested after 7 days, and the biomass, reactive oxygen species (ROS) parameters, Co concentrations of the shoot and root, and available Co content in the soil were analyzed. The results demonstrate that chelating agents significantly (p < 0.05) improved the phytoextraction capability of sweet alyssum and influenced plant growth and stress. The capability of EDDS to activate Co was higher than that of other chelating agents at identical concentrations in Co-contaminated soils. Furthermore, we observed that a moderate concentration (40 mg kg−1) of Co could promote plant growth and that high concentrations of Co (60 mg kg−1) and EDDS (7.5 mmol kg−1) cause enhanced stress to plant growth, even resulting in lower shoot Co accumulation than that in the moderate EDDS treatment (5.0 mmol kg−1). The present study demonstrates that the application of EDDS may be a better choice for Co phytoextraction than NTA, CA, and OA; nevertheless, a high concentration of EDDS may enhance the negative effects on plant growth, physiological traits, and Co accumulation.

Enhanced Phytoextraction of Cadmium Contaminated Soil by Trifolium Repens with Biodegradable Chelate GLDA

Chelating agents can increase the bioavailability of heavy metals and enhance their enrichment in plants. The effects of different concentrations of biodegradable chelating agent L-glutamic acid N, N-diacetic acid (GLDA) on the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil by super-enriched plant Trifolium repens were investigated by pot experiments with Cd-contaminated soil. Results show that low-dose GLDA could significantly promote the growth of Trifolium repens, and the biomass of Trifolium repens was the highest at 2.5 mmol·kg-1-GLDA, which was 1.30 times that of the control group. Different concentrations of GLDA can increase Cd content of various parts of Trifolium repens. In general, the treatment effect of 5 mmol·kg-1 GLDA was ideal. In this scenario, the root, aerial parts, and whole Cd content were 3.57, 4.69, and 4.67 times of the control group, respectively. GLDA can significantly increase the available Cd content in soil, promote direct absorption at the Trifolium repens roots, and provide better transport to the aerial parts. The prediction model obtained by fitting the linear relationship between physical and chemical properties of soil indicates that GLDA and Trifolium repens Cd content can provide references for the future research of soil-Trifolium repens enrichment. Studies have shown that the biodegradable chelating agent GLDA has potential applications for enhancing phytoremediation of heavy metal Cd contaminated soil.

Effects of GLDA, MGDA, and EDTA chelating ligands on Pb sorption by montmorillonite

In this study, the effects of the new biodegradable chelating ligands, i.e., methylglycinediacetic acid (MGDA) and L-glutamic acid-N,N-diacetic acid (GLDA), were compared with that of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) on lead (Pb) sorption by montmorillonite (MMT) at equimolar Pb:ligand ratios. The results of PHREEQC simulations indicated that Pb was predominantly present in the form of negatively-charged chelates with significantly different sorption behaviors compared to that of the Pb2+ cations. The time-dependent sorption of the Pb species on MMT was biphasic, with an initial fast phase occurring within 3 h followed by a slower one reaching equilibrium after approximately 12 h. The analysis of equilibrium data revealed that both capacity and affinity of MMT for Pb sorption were decreased in the presence of the chelating ligands. The moderating potential of ligands on Pb sorption decreased in the order of EDTA ≫ MGDA > GLDA in accordance with complex stability constants. The FE-SEM/EDX, ATR-FTIR, and XRD evidence indicated that Pb and Pb complexes were adsorbed, most likely through physical forces, on both external planar and edge surfaces of the MMT. In conclusion, GLDA and MGDA represented lower ability than EDTA to depress Pb2+ adsorption on MMT, and hence, lower potential to mobilize Pb in soils and sediments where MMT is an important mineral sorbent.

Dynamics of Strontium and geochemically correlated elements in soil during washing remediation with eco-complaint chelators

In the study, the dynamics of Sr2+ and geochemically correlated elements (Ca2+, Ba2+, and Y3+) in soil with chelators in the mix (soil to chelator ratio, 1:10; matrix, H2O) were assessed to understand chemical-induced washing remediation of radiogenic waste solids. Specifically, EDTA (2,2′,2″,2‴-(ethane-1,2-diyldinitrilo)tetraacetic acid), EDDS (2-[2-(1,2-dicarboxyethylamino)ethylamino]butanedioic acid), GLDA (2-[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]pentanedioic acid), and HIDS (2-(1,2-dicarboxyethylamino)-3-hydroxy-butanedioic acid) are chelators that are used as extractants. The effect of solution pH on chelator-induced extractions of the target elements (t-Es: Sr2+, Ca2+, Ba2+, or Y3+) from soil and stability constants of the t-Es complexes with chelators were used to explain the trends and magnitudes in interactions. Pre- and post-extractive solid-phase speciation was used to define the extent of the competence of each chelator in persuading dissolution of t-Es in the soil. The effects of ultrasonic energy, admixtures of biodegradable chelators, and excess chelators in solution (1:20) were also analyzed on the extractive removal of t-Es from soil. The results indicate that the Sr2+ removal with biodegradable chelators significantly exceeded (approximately 70%) when compared to that of environmentally-persistent EDTA at lower solution pHs and a higher soil to chelator ratio (GLDA > HIDS > EDDS ≈ EDTA). However, the extraction of the geochemically related element was significantly lower.

Investigation of biodegradable polyaspartate as an effective chelant for washing of lead from soil: response surface methodology approach

ABSTRACT In this work, a biodegradable chelant (polyaspartate) was synthesised by using L-aspartic via polysuccinimide and used for removal of lead from polluted soil. The interactive effects of operating parameters, polyaspartate dose, metal concentration, polyaspartate/soil ratio, pH and extraction time, were examined via 35 factorial face-centred central composite design matrix and response surface methodology. The examined responses for the two models developed were (i) concentration of extracted Pb in polyaspartate solution and (ii) residual concentration of Pb in the treated soil. The optimal removal efficiency was 90%, which yields 18 mg/L of extracted Pb and 50 mg/kg of residual Pb in the treated soil, at conditions of pH 3, extraction time of 6 h under highest level of initial Pb concentration (500 mg/kg), polymer/soil ratio of 25 and polyaspartate dose of 36 mmol/L. However, at the lowest level of polymer/soil ratio of 5, the maximum removal efficiency dwindled to 59% with higher residual Pb and extracted Pb concentrations of 205 mg/kg and 59 mg/L, respectively. The results showed that higher soil washing efficiency was linked to lower initial pH, increase in initial lead ions concentration and polyaspartate/soil ratio. The study signifies eco-friendly polyaspartate as an efficient chelant for remediation of Pb polluted soil via washing technique.

NTA-enhanced Pb remediation efficiency by the phytostabilizer Athyrium wardii (Hook.) and associated Pb leaching risk.

Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), a biodegradable chelant, has been promoted to effectively assist Pb phytoextraction, while a few researches available on the phytostabilizer of Athyrium wardii (Hook.). In this study, two incubation experiments and a subsequent column experiment were conducted to investigate the effects of application of NTA on Pb availability in soils and Pb accumulation in A.wardii and associated leaching risk. The application of NTA significantly increased the exchangeable Pb and Pb bound to carbonates along with a decreased pH, leading to enhanced Pb availability in soils. It was more effective in enhancing Pb availability in soils by adding 2mmolkg-1 NTA into soils at once for 7d, thus demonstrating potential for enhancing Pb uptake by A.wardii. After the addition of 2mmolkg-1 NTA for 7d, Pb concentrations in roots of A.wardii was enhanced by 23.8%, along with 10.6% of increase for Pb accumulation in roots. No significant changes were observed for the biomass of A.wardii. Meanwhile, the available Pb and TCLP-extractable Pb in 0-20cm soils increased by 11.1-23.4% and 7.1-31.2%, thus promoting Pb leaching in 0-20cm soils. However, there were no changes for Pb leaching risk levels of 20-40cm soils. No Pb was detected in the leachates from all columns. The application of 2mmolkg-1 NTA at once for 7d is therefore proved to show greater potential in enhancing Pb remediation efficiency by the phytostabilizer of A.wardii without increasing Pb leaching risk into groundwater.

Effect of biodegradable chelators on induced phytoextraction of uranium- and cadmium- contaminated soil by Zebrina pendula Schnizl

This study investigated the effect of ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid (EDDS), oxalic acid (OA), and citric acid (CA) on phytoextraction of U- and Cd-contaminated soil by Z. pendula. In this study, the biomass of tested plant inhibited significantly following treatment with the high concentration (7.5 mmol·kg−1) EDDS treatment. Maximum U and Cd concentration in the single plant was observed with the 5 mmol·kg−1 CA and 7.5 mmol·kg−1 EDDS treatment, respectively, whereas OA treatments had the lowest U and Cd uptake. The translocation factors of U and Cd reached the maximum in the 5 mmol·kg−1 EDDS. The maximum bioaccumulation of U and Cd in the single plants was 1032.14 µg and 816.87 µg following treatment with 5 mmol·kg−1 CA treatment, which was 6.60- and 1.72-fold of the control groups, respectively. Furthermore, the resultant rank order for available U and Cd content in the soil was CA > EDDS > OA (U) and EDDS > CA > OA (Cd). These results suggested that CA could greater improve the capacity of phytoextraction using Z. pendula in U- and Cd- contaminated soils.

Chelator-assisted washing for the extraction of lead, copper, and zinc from contaminated soils: A remediation approach

Chelators have proven to be effective extractants in soil washing and represent a suitable remediation technology for potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from contaminated sites. In this paper, the extraction of lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) from contaminated real and reference soils using both biodegradable (EDDS and HIDS) and persistent (EDTA and DTPA) chelators was investigated. Different metal–chelator complex formation constants, pH, extraction temperature, and mechanochemical energy were tested. The PTEs were extracted at a relatively higher rate under acidic to neutral conditions (pH 5 and 7), with the greatest extraction being observed at pH 5. The metal extraction efficiencies of the chelators for the real sample at pH 5 were as follows: Pb – EDTA > DTPA > EDDS > HIDS; Cu – DTPA > EDTA > EDDS > HIDS; and Zn – DTPA > EDTA > HIDS > EDDS. The data suggested that EDDS was more effective than HIDS for Cu and Zn extraction in neutral to slightly alkaline solutions, as well as at raised temperature. Furthermore, EDTA washing using mechanochemical agitation was found to enhance the removal efficiency of Cu and Zn. Sequential chemical extraction showed that the apparent metal mobilities were reduced by soil washing. EDTA and DTPA appeared to offer greater potential than the biodegradable chelators in extracting metals from the relatively mobile carbonate- and Fe–Mn oxide-bound fractions. The residual fraction of Pb displayed considerable stability (≥70%), and was not entirely amenable under washing treatments, and hence could be considered non-bioavailable and non-toxic.

Effects of biodegradable chelator combination on potentially toxic metals leaching efficiency in agricultural soils

Soil washing with chelators, a viable method for treating soils contaminated with potentially toxic metals, has drawn increasing attentions. The objective of this study was to determine a new generation of mixed degradable chelating agents from N, N-bis (carboxymethyl) glutamic acid (GLDA), [S, S]-stereoisomer of ethyleneiaminedisucc--inic acid (EDDS), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and citric acid (CA), and to evaluate its effectiveness and feasibility to reduce toxic metals contamination in two different agricultural soils. A comparative leaching test conducted on the four individual degradable chelating agents showed that the capacity of single chelator in mobilizing copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) varied significantly. Using a combination of GLDA and NTA was more advantageous than using a single chelating agent in extracting potentially toxic metals. The removal efficiencies of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb reached 38.2, 9.8, 71.4, and 19.5% for soil 1, and 25.0, 5.2, 59.7, and 18.5% for soil 2, respectively, at mixed chelator (MC) concentrations of 3 mmol/L (GLDA) and 2 mmol/L (NTA), pH of 6.0, and a contact time of 4.0 h. The effects of washing conditions, chelator concentration, pH values, and contact time on the removal efficiencies of target toxic metals were investigated. The results showed that the combined chelating agent has a lower pH dependence, making it feasible for a wider range of applications. The effects of the chelating agents on the morphological distribution of potentially toxic metals and the soil enzyme activity before and after the treatments were also studied. After washing, the content of the water-soluble, acid-soluble, reducible, and oxidizable target metals showed a certain degree of decrease. Although the activities of catalase, urease, and invertase appeared to be inhibited during a short period of time, their activities were stimulated and later promoted with the degradation of the chelating agent. In general, the chelating agent combination has a great potential for toxic metals leaching.

Effects of ZnO Nanoparticles and Ethylenediamine-N,N'-Disuccinic Acid on Seed Germination of Four Different Plants.

The release of nanoparticles and biodegradable chelating agents into the environment may cause toxicological and ecotoxicological effects. The aim of this study is to determine the ecotoxic effects of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) on most cultured four plants. The durum wheat, bread wheat, barley, and rye are exposed to 5 mL 10 mg L−1 ZnO nanoparticles and 10 mg L−1 EDDS in the seed germination stage. Results show that these different plant species have different responses to ZnO nanoparticles and EDDS. The germination percentage of bread wheat and rye decreases in the application of ZnO nanoparticles while the germination of durum wheat and barley increases as much as in radicle elongation and seedling vigor. While ZnO treatment causes a decrease in bread wheat and rye germinated rat in the range of 33–14.3%, respectively, there is no change in germination rate of these plants at EDDS treatment. In addition, EDDS treatment positively affects barley germination rate. In conclusion, it is clear that ZnO nanoparticles have more toxic effects on bread wheat and rye than EDDS, while barley is positively affected by ZnO nanoparticles and EDDS.

Efficient production of polymalic acid from xylose mother liquor, an environmental waste from the xylitol industry, by a T-DNA-based mutant of Aureobasidium pullulans.

Polymalic acid (PMA) is a biodegradable polymer produced by the polyextremotolerant fungi Aureobasidium pullulans and has been shown to have potential applications in environmental fields. In this work, a high PMA yield mutant FJ-D2 was screened from T-DNA-based mutant libraries and showed a 12.9% increase in PMA titers, which was attributed to decreased the expression of a glycosyltransferase gene (celA), resulting in a 39.5% reduction in cellulose biosynthesis. Untreated waste xylose mother liquor (WXML), an environmental waste generated from the xylitol industry, can be directly used as an economical substrate for PMA production. Using batch-fermentation of FJ-D2, the PMA titer of 57.1 ± 0.02g/L was produced in a 5-L fermentor, with the highest MA yield of 0.77g/g mixed sugar. Furthermore, compared with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), PMA had a comparable cadmium (Cd) removal efficiency (88.7% for EDTA versus 86.0% for PMA), which was not found in the monomer of L-malic acid (MA) monomers. These findings indicated that PMA was an environmentally friendly and biodegradable chelator for soil remediation. Moreover, our results provided an economically competitive process for PMA production from renewable environmental wastes.