The phytotoxic effects of crude oil and oil components on the growth of red beans (Phaseolus nipponesis OWH1) and corn (Zea mays) was investigated. In addition, the beneficial effects of bioremediation with the oil-degrading microorganism, Nocardia sp. H17-1, on corn and red bean growth in oil-contaminated soil was also determined. It was found that crude oil-contaminated soil (10,000mg/kg) was...

The legacy of industrialization has left many soils contaminated. However, soil organisms and plant communities can thrive in spite of metal contamination and, in some cases, metabolize and help in remediation. The responses of plants and soil organisms to contamination are mutually dependent and dynamic. Plantesoil feedbacks are central to the development of any terrestrial community; they are...

Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) are three common non-essential heavy metals found in urban soils and can prove toxic to animals, humans, and some plants at low concentrations. The main exposure pathways of heavy metals in humans are through ingestion and inhalation of soil particles and ingestion of contaminated food. When dealing with contaminated soil in urban environments, activiti...

Development of environmentally benign approaches to remediation of metal-contaminated soils and sewage sludges are needed to replace currently used techniques of either landfilling or metal extraction using caustic or toxic agents. We report results from four application technologies that use a metal-chelating biosurfactant, rhamnolipid, for removal of metals or metal-associated toxicity from m...

in recent years, the nanoscale zero-valent iron (nzvi) particles have been used successfully for the degradation of hydrocarboncompounds and remediation of other pollutants. nevertheless, as far as we know, there is no specific study on the improvement of thegeotechnical properties of contaminated soils with hydrocarbon compounds by nzvi. this study used nzvi particles to remove gasoil in a cla...

Little information is available on the relationship between the spatial distribution of zoonotic parasites in soil and the pattern of hosts' faeces deposition at a local scale. In this study, the spatial distribution of soil contaminated by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii was investigated in relation to the distribution and use of the defecation sites of its definitive host, the domestic cat (Fe...

Contamination of soils with cadmium (Cd) is a serious global issue due to its high mobility and toxicity. We investigated the application of insoluble polyacrylate polymers to improve soil and plant health. Sorghum was grown in a Cd-contaminated sandy soil. Polyacrylate polymers at 0.2% (w/w) were added to half of the soil. Control soil without plants was also included in the experiment. Growth...

The contamination of soil with petroleum products is a major environmental problem. Petroleum products are common soil contaminants as a result of human activities, and they are causing substantial changes in the biological (particularly microbiological) processes, chemical composition, structure and physical properties of soil. The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of soil ...