Orientador: Ricardo Antunes de Azevedo / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T16:19:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Souza_LucasAnjos_D.pdf: 2069083 bytes, checksum: 2b128cf16852d48afca928d3b9b12200 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Um dos grandes problemas de poluição ambiental é a contaminação do solo e corpos d¿água com metais pesados. Alguns desses elementos não possuem funções metabólicas e são extremamente tóxicos podendo levar o organismo à morte. Com o aumento de atividades industriais e o manejo inapropriado de resíduos que contenham esses elementos, a quantidade e disponibilidade de metais pesados no solo aumentam consideravelmente assim, se tornando um problema sério. O cádmio (Cd) é um metal pesado que não possui função metabólica e é altamente tóxico. Técnicas de engenharia para remediação de solos contaminados por metal pesado são utilizadas, mas geralmente trazem outros impactos ao meio ambiente. Assim, a fitorremediação é uma técnica que utiliza plantas para remediar solos contaminados com metais pesados, utilizando a capacidade de absorção e acumulação do elemento em tecidos vegetais, dessa forma sendo caracterizada como uma opção ambientalmente adequada. No entanto, poucas plantas que produzem altas quantidades de biomassa têm sido estudadas para utilização nessa fitotecnologia. Dessa maneira, esse estudo buscou caracterizar a resposta de Dolichos lablab L. ao Cd, uma leguminosa forrageira tolerante aos estresses por salinidade e seca. Realizamos a avaliação do potencial fitorremediador para solos contaminados com Cd, a caracterização da resposta da via antioxidativa enzimática e perfil proteico. Observamos que Dolichos lablab L. pode ser utilizada como fitoestabilizadora de Cd em solos cujo grau de contaminação seja moderado, até 5 mg kg-1; observamos, também, que a resposta do sistema antioxidante é tecido específica, sendo a resposta radicular mais eficiente que a resposta foliar; por meio da análise do proteoma de Dolichos lablab L. expostas ao Cd, observamos que enzimas envolvidas no metabolismo de carboidratos e metabolismo energético são, frequentemente moduladas positivamente e proteínas relacionadas à resposta a estresses abióticos diversos são induzidas tanto em raízes quanto em folhas / Abstract: One of the major problems of environmental pollution is the contamination of soil and water bodies with heavy metals. Some of these elements do not have metabolic functions and are extremely toxic and can lead organisms to death. With the increase of industrial activities and inappropriate management of waste containing these elements, the amount and availability of heavy metals in the soil greatly increased, thus becoming a serious problem. Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal that has no metabolic function and is highly toxic. Engineering techniques for remediate heavy metals contaminated soils are used, but usually bring other environmental impacts. Thus, phytoremediation is a technique that uses plants for remediating heavy metals contaminated soil, using the plant ability to uptake and accumulate the toxic element in plant tissues, thus being characterized as an environmentally friendly option. However, few plants that produce high amounts of biomass have been studied to be used in this phytotechnology. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the response of Dolichos lablab L. to Cd, a leguminous plant used as forage that is tolerant salt and drought stresses. We performed the evaluation of the potential use for phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil, the characterization of the antioxidant pathway response and protein profile. We observed that Dolichos lablab L. can be used for Cd phytoestabilization in soils with a moderate degree of contamination, up to 5 mg kg-1; we also observed that the enzymatic antioxidant response is tissue specific, being root response more efficient than that of foliar; by the proteome analysis of Dolichos lablab L. under Cd stress, we observed that enzymes related to carbohydrate and energetic metabolisms are, frequently, up regulated and that proteins related to abiotic stress response are up regulated in both roots and leaves / Doutorado / Biologia Vegetal / Doutor em Biologia Vegetal

Mine tailings pose a health risk for populations and ecosystems in the Southwest; this is why effective, and low-cost solutions for the long term are needed. This work is groundbreaking since little information is available with regards to applying greenhouse studies of phytostabilization to the field for mine tailing remediation. Mine tailings from Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter Superfund (IKMHSS) site can be considered one of the worst scenarios due to the extreme conditions which prevent the growth of a vegetation cap. The high concentration of metals, such as arsenic and lead, highly acidic, lack of the nutrients carbon and nitrogen in the soil structure, and low microbial communities are factors that negatively affect plant growth. This project provides practical field-scale applications for the use of phytostabilization, which uses plants to create a vegetation cap that stabilizes metals in the root zone while preventing wind and water erosion in mine tailings. The project is divided into three main studies: (1) the assessment of the translation of successful greenhouse results to the field of phytostabilization using compost-assisted direct planting. This includes the use of different rates of compost as an amendment and different desert native plant species in addition to some potential parameters that could be used as indicators of a successful modification of biochemical and physical environment from a disturbed soil towards a more healthy soil when compost assisted direct planting phytostabilization is used; (2) the second study aims to evaluate the effect of the phytostabilization strategy on reducing windborne transport of particle and metal(loids) following the establishment of the vegetation cap. The results indicate that the vegetation resulted from direct planting decreases dust emissions from IKMHSS mine tailings; and (3) the third study focuses on one of the most important requirements for phytostabilization application in the field, the performance of the different plant species selected from the greenhouse studies. This performance was evaluated as the metal accumulation in aerial plant tissue based on metal concentration guidelines from the National Research Council as well as changes in the composition of plant species and canopy cover with time. The results derived from the translation of compost–assisted direct plating based on successful greenhouse results are showing the capacity of this technology on a field scale by maintaining a canopy cover over time that decreases mobilization by not hyper-accumulating metals in the aerial tissue and by preventing windborne particle dispersion with the potential of disrupting contamination pathways.

Particulate and dissolved forms of arsenic and heavy metals are released from legacy mine tailings, particularly in (semi-) arid environments where tailings remain barren of vegetation and therefore highly susceptible to erosion. This leads to contamination of adjacent ecosystems and increased risk to public health. Establishment of a vegetative cap using amendments, such as composted organic matter to enhance plant growth, may be employed to reduce both physical erosion and leaching, but the impacts of such practices on molecular-scale mechanisms controlling metal(loid) speciation and lability remain poorly understood. Here we report on subsurface biogeochemical transformations of metal(loid)s in a phytostabilization field study at a Superfund site in Arizona, USA, where a legacy pyritic tailings (4,000 mg kg^-1 As, 2,438 mg kg^-1 Pb, 6,142 mg kg^-1 Zn, 13.25% Fe, and 11.71% S, averages for the top 0.5 m) has undergone oxidation in the top 1 m. Tailings were amended in the top 20 cm with 10%, 15%, and 20% composted organic matter by mass and seeded with native halotolerant plant species. All field treatments and the uncomposted control received irrigation of 0.36 ± 0.03 mm y^-1 in addition to 0.25 ± 0.16 mm y^-1 of precipitation, resulting in water input of 144% the annual precipitation rate. The field trial incorporated four annual samplings from 2010 – 2013. Sampling consisted of a single core of 90 cm in length and 2.54 cm in diameter collected from each field plot that was subsequently sectioned into 20 cm depth increments for analysis by synchrotron Fe and As X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) coupled with quantitative chemical extraction methods. Subsurface stabilization of arsenic by Prosopis juliflora (mesquite) was investigated by bulk and micro synchrotron XAS and multiple-energy microscale fluorescence mapping combined with chemical digestion of plant samples following 1, 2, and 3 months of growth in greenhouse microcosms as well as 14 and 36 months of growth at the field site. Results indicate persistence of oxidizing conditions following compost amendment in surface tailings despite addition of organic matter, development of heterotrophic microbial communities and irrigation of a poorly draining medium. Compost amendment of 20% corresponded with evidence of higher oxidative pyrite weathering activity at 40-60 cm depth during phytostabilization compared to treatments of 0% or 10% compost for which the highest oxidative pyrite weathering activity was observed closer to the surface at 20-40 cm depth.. Despite observed downward transport of As, Fe, Zn, Mn, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, V, and Co during phytostabilization, ≥ 75% of total As was found to be attenuated by ferrihydrite in surface depths. Attenuation of Mn, Co, and Ni was observed below 40 depth by tailings receiving compost amendment relative to the irrigated control. Root associated As(V) was immobilized on the root epidermis bound to ferric sulfate precipitates and within root vacuoles as trivalent As(III)-thiol complexes. Rhizoplane associated ferric sulfate phases were dissimilar from the bulk tailings mineralogy shown by XAS and exhibited a high capacity to scavenge As(V) with As:Fe ratios 2x higher than the compost amended growth medium, indicating a root surface mechanism for their formation or accumulation. Results indicate that arsenate attenuation in semi-arid mine tailings during phytostabilization greatly depends on the presence of high concentrations of Fe(III) (oxyhydr)oxide minerals with a high capacity for arsenic adsorption.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Alpa Nawre / Historically, industrial riverfronts often polluted waters and sites with chemicals, leading to degraded ecosystem health and reduced numbers of aquatic wildlife downstream. These sites currently pollute the environment through residual chemicals and waste left behind by industrial-era production factories. Urban riverfront redevelopment offers many possibilities to restore wetland ecosystems and reestablish site connections to surroundings through human access. By redeveloping urban rivers for wetland protection and stormwater management, cities can begin to regain their connections with the landscape while providing resilient ecosystems through restoration. This proposal identifies possibilities for riverfront redevelopment as wetlands and tools for restorative action aiding increased human access and wildlife health. A stormwater management plan utilizing phytotechnology is proposed for the ARMCO Site at 7000 Winner Rd. Kansas City, MO, a former steel manufacturing site, adjacent to the Missouri River and Blue River waterways. Using plant material and landscape design, the ARMCO riverfront has been redesigned to unlock the full potential of treatment wetlands and showcase emerging treatment methods that could soon become typical cleanup procedure. A template for remediation design has been created with the techniques identified for remediation, stormwater treatment, and habitat creation outlined in the master plan proposal. Nine precedent studies have been used to identify key concepts for design phasing aimed at human accessibility and modifications of restorative tools. Careful deliberation of stormwater containment and flood plain levels define site layout while contributing design responses adaptable for year-round functionality coupled with landscape interest for each season. The techniques and planting palette have been tailored to address the specific site contaminants for the Missouri River riverfront but are adaptable for various contaminants and ecosystems.

No description available.

Magister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) / Heavy grazing of rangelands in the succulent karoo has placed the biodiversity of these areas at risk. In Paulshoek, overgrazing has resulted in the removal of much of the palatable vegetation from low lying areas. The remaining vegetation is dominated by Galenia africana, an unpalatable shrub. Loss of favourable microsites, competition from Galenia africana, as well as loss of seed banks, may be the cause of poor seedling establishment of palatable species. I explored how high grazing pressure has changed this system by comparing with surrounding private farms, which have a history of less concentrated grazing pressure. I found that heavy grazing increased the seed bank of Galenia africana in the soil and reduced that of palatable perennials. Vegetation cover was significantly lower (p<0.0001) under heavy grazing and consisted mainly of Galenia africana and few palatable perennials. The aim of this study was to test techniques that could restore this area to a more productive palatable shrubland. I propose that rehabilitation can be used to gain an understanding of the ecological factors that may be sustaining this altered vegetation state. My methodology involved biophysical interventions to manipulate this system. Grazing pressure was removed from the study area and vegetation changes were monitored under grazed and protected regimes. No change in plant cover was found after two years. However, there was an increase in cover of palatable perennials in relation to overall cover. I physically manipulated the environment by introducing microcatchments and brushpacks to act as traps for water, seed and organic material. These interventions resulted in few changes, however, I found higher soil moisture levels in microcatchments and under brushpacks than open positions. Cover of ephemerals was also significantly higher (p<0.001) in areas that had been brushpacked. In the absence of a seedbank, I tested whether the introduction of seed would result in recruitment. Seed of four palatable perennial species was sown into open, packed and tilled soil. A low number of seeds germinated in the first year and most seedlings died. Further germination occurred after a rainfall event in the second year, but still in very low numbers. Various microhabitats were implemented to assess seedling establishment requirements. Seedlings were transplanted in microcatchments and open positions; in areas cleared of Galenia, under adult Galenia and brush packs and in bare soil. Microhabitats did not facilitate seedling establishment, and few seedlings survived. Survival of seedlings was influenced by the size of seedling at transplantation and site differences. I conclude that the factors underlying vegetation change are complex. Individual physical and biological interventions offered no immediate change in vegetation cover and composition. However, a combination of interventions may over time and under favourable climatic conditions allow the return of a viable palatable shrubland. / South Africa

The Red Sea is an arid environment, without riverine inputs, oligotrophic waters and extreme temperature and salinity. Avicennia marina is the dominant vegetation in the shores of the Red Sea. However, little is known about their distribution, dynamics, and services. Therefore, the aim of this Ph.D. was to obtain the basic information needed to evaluate their role in the coastal ecosystems and quantify their services. With that objective we 1) estimated the past and present distribution of mangroves in the Red Sea, 2) investigated the growth, leave production and floration 3) examined the growth limiting factors 4) measured the nutrients and heavy metal dynamics in the leaves and 5) estimated carbon sequestration. We found an increase of about 12% in the last 41 years, which contrasts with global trends of decrease. The extreme conditions in the Red Sea contributed to limit their growth resulting in stunted trees. Hence, we surveyed Central Red Sea mangroves to estimate their node production with an average of 9.59 node y-1 then converted that number into time to have a plastochrone interval of 38 days. As mangroves are taller in the southern Red Sea where both temperature and nutrients are higher than the Central Red Sea, we assessed nutrient status Avicennia marina propagules and naturally growing leaves to find the leaves low in nutrient concentrations (N < 1.5 %, P < 0.09 %, Fe < 0.06) and that nutrients are reabsorbed before shedding the leaves (69%, 72% and 35% for N, P, and Fe respectively). As a result, we conducted a fertilization experiment (N, P, Fe and combinations) to find that iron additions alone led to significant growth responses. Moreover, we estimated their leaf production and used our previous estimates of both the total cover mangrove in the Red Sea along with plastochrone interval to assess their total nutrients flux per year to be 2414 t N, 139 t P and 98 t Fe. We found them to sequester 34 g m-2 y-1, which imply 4590 tons of carbon sequestered per year for the total mangroves covered by the Red Sea.

PHYTOREMEDIATION OF WEATHERED PETROLEUM IN GROUNDWATER BY ARROYO WILLOWS IN NUTRIENT AMENDED ON-SITE MESOCOSMS SARAH BRAGG-FLAVAN A large-scale mesocosm study was conducted to determine if vegetation with willow trees enhances biodegradation and to evaluate the mechanisms of natural biodegradation of weathered petroleum compounds under field conditions. The mesocosms were designed to model conditions at a former oil field where mid-range petroleum distillates were used as a diluent for pumping crude oil contaminated the soil and groundwater at the site with petroleum compounds. Ten mesocosms were constructed at the field site using un-impacted soil and diluent-impacted groundwater from the site. Five of the mesocosms were planted with Arroyo Willow trees native to the field site and the other five served as controls without trees. Since these willow trees are phreatophytes, their roots are capable of consuming water from the water table. A previous study was conducted using these mesocosms, however the willow trees then were in poor condition. In this study, fertilizer was added to the mesocosms to promote healthy growth of the willows. Fertilizer was added equally to mesocosms with and without willow trees to avoid introducing bias. Groundwater was circulated through the mesocosms for two 109 to 126 days runs, while the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations of the groundwater were measured periodically. Dissolved oxygen concentrations were also monitored in each of the mesocosms to determine if the willow trees had any impact on oxygen transfer to the subsurface. In the first run without nutrient amendments the trees did not enhance biodegradation. All the mesocosms started with an average TPH concentration of 6.3 mg/L and ended with a concentration of 1.0 mg/L. After this first run, nutrient amendments were added to all the mesocosms, resulting in healthy trees with robust growth. With healthy willow trees, the planted mesocosms resulted in a statistically significant increase in long-term biodegradation of dissolved-phase petroleum compounds. The planted mesocosms resulted in 29 percent more degradation. These results agree with prior lab studies using bench-scale microcosms with media from the former oil field which indicated that TPH concentrations after 100 days were lower in containers with willows or lupines compared to controls without plants. Microtox® toxicity decreased for both planted and control mesocosms, showing no toxic root exudates or by-products. There are several potential mechanisms of the observed phytoremediation. Terminal restriction fragment analyses showed that the planted mesocosms had different microbial communities than the unplanted mesocosms. Thus, a possible mechanism of the phytoremediation is stimulation of a rhizobial microbial community that biodegrades petroleum compounds. The dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations were actually lower in the planted mesocosms, possibly due to consumption of oxygen during biodegradation of root exudates. The reduced DO concentrations in the planted mesocosm discounts the possibility that the plants stimulated biodegradation by increasing oxygen transfer to the subsurface. It is not known from these experiments if the petroleum compounds were taken up by the plants or if the plants stimulated bacterial biodegradation. Since it is difficult for plants to uptake non-polar compounds with a high octanol-water coefficient (Kow), it is usually unlikely that plants could uptake petroleum compounds which usually have a Kow > 3. However, the log Kow of the dissolved phase diluent determined in this research was only 0.14. Although the mechanism by which the willow trees increased biodegradation was not elucidated, this study demonstrated that phytoremediation of the polar and hydrophilic weathered petroleum compounds was successful. Column chromatography was used to fractionate petroleum compounds extracted from the groundwater into aliphatic, aromatic and polar components so that biodegradation of each of these fractions could be determined independently. The first mesocosm experiments showed that regardless of the presence of trees, there was a decrease in TPH concentration for all three fractions. The overall unfractionated biodegradation rates averaged 41 ug/L/day over this experiment, and the biodegradation rate of the polar fraction was similar at 40 ug/L/day. In comparison, the biodegradation rates of the aliphatic and aromatic fractions were considerably lower at 1.2 and 2.6 ug/L/day, respectively.

In order to analyze the socio-economic and environmental system that is demanding soil remediation solutions in Chinandega region (Nicaragua), a DPSIR framework was used to model the system and to point out opportunities and limitations for phytoremediation applications in the region. An inventory of naturalized and autochthonous plant species was conducted while exploring their socioecological and economic co-benefits like potential candidates for sustainable phytoremediation strategies in Chinandega. Sustainable phytoremediation practices combined with agroforestry are unlikely to demand high cost inputs (if compared to conventional physicochemical soil treatments) but could potentially produce valuable socio-ecological and economic co-benefits which could enhance the cost-effectiveness of these practices in Chinandega (i.e. food production, fuelwood, building material, medicine, animal feed, carbon sequestration) among others (e.g. ecosystem services conservation, bioenergy production, essential oil production, phytomining, etc.). In the inventory of the existing vegetation in the two sites of study, 23 plant species resulted to be potential candidates for phytoremediation strategies in Chinandega according to the 9 criteria presented in this thesis. The capacity of POPs decontamination of these candidate plant species is still an unexplored field of research that would demand more detailed investigation in order to evaluate their further potential to phytoremediate these soils. However, the inventoried species clearly thrive in heavily contaminated sites which implies that they can withstand high levels of soil pollution, which makes them potential candidates for phytoremediation. The depth and scope of the contaminated soil layers, translocation patterns, phytoremediation capacity and the mechanisms involved calls for further investigations and feasibility studies based on this selected group of species. / För att analysera det socioekonomiska och miljömässiga system som kräver lösningar för rening av jord i Chinandega (Nicaragua) användes en DPSIR-modell för att kartlägga systemet och påvisa möjligheter och begränsningar för att tillämpa fytoremedieringsinitiativ i regionen. En inventering av naturligt anpassade växtarter genomfördes genom att undersöka deras socioekologiska och ekonomiska fördelar som potentiella kandidater för hållbara fytormedieringsstrategier i Chinandega. Hållbara fytoremedieringsmetoder kombinerat med skogsjordbruk kommer sannolikt inte att kräva högre kostnader (jämfört med konventionella fysikalisk-kemiska markbehandlingar) men kan potentiellt ge resultat när det gäller socioekonomiska och ekonomiska fördelar som skulle kunna förbättra kostnadseffektiviteten hos dessa metoder i Chinandega (d.v.s. livsmedelsproduktion, bränslevirke, byggmaterial, medicin, djurfoder, kolsekvestration) bland annat (t.ex. bevarande av ekosystemtjänster, bioenergiproduktion, essentiell oljeproduktion, fytominering, etc.). I inventeringen av den befintliga vegetationen i de två studieplatserna framkom 23 växtarter som potentiella kandidater för fytoremedieringsstrategier i Chinandega enligt de 9 kriterier som presenteras i denna avhandling. POP-dekontamineringskapaciteten hos dessa kandidatväxter är fortfarande ett outforskat område som skulle kräva mer forskning för att utvärdera potentialen att fytoremediera dessa jordar. Det faktum att dessa arter hittades på de starkt förorenade områdena innebär emellertid att de kan klara dessa nivåer av markförorening. Den identifierade kunskapsklyftan på translokeringsmönster av dessa arter, djup och omfattning av de förorenade markskikten och fytormedieringskapaciteten hos växterna och de involverade mekanismerna kräver ytterligare undersökningar och förstudier baserade på denna valda grupp av arter. / <p>2019-10-17</p>

The ability to accumulate uranium was tested on 20 different cultivars and GMOs of Nicotiana spp. grown in Hoagland's hydroponic medium indoors. Apart from the accumulation and translocation of uranium in plants, the effects of genetic modifications and adaptations of hydroponic medium on the ability of plants to accumulate uranium were tested. N. glauca, N. tabacum cv. M 51 and GMO M 51 Pro seemed to be the best plants for accumulation of uranium. Concentrations of uranium in these plants grown in medium with 0,5 mM of uranium were as high as 31.28 mg/g dry weight in roots and 0.21 mg/g in upper parts. N. tabacum cv. La Burley 21 and GMOs TRI2 - T1 and TRI2 - T2 were tested for accumulation and translocation of uranium. Highest concentration was 72.49 mg/g in roots, 4 mg/g in stems and 1.1 mg/g in highest leaves for plants cultivated in medium with 1 mM of uranium. Absence of phosphate in the hydroponic medium resulted in increased accumulation of uranium.