Enhanced Degradation of TCE on a Superfund Site Using Endophyte-Assisted Poplar Tree Phytoremediation

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a widespread environmental pollutant common in groundwater plumes associated with industrial manufacturing areas. We had previously isolated and characterized a natural bacterial endophyte, Enterobacter sp. strain PDN3, of poplar trees, that rapidly metabolizes TCE, releasing chloride ion. We now report findings from a successful three-year field trial of endophyte-assisted phytoremediation on the Middlefield-Ellis-Whisman Superfund Study Area TCE plume in the Silicon Valley of California. The inoculated poplar trees exhibited increased growth and reduced TCE phytotoxic effects with a 32% increase in trunk diameter compared to mock-inoculated control poplar trees. The inoculated trees excreted 50% more chloride ion into the rhizosphere, indicative of increased TCE metabolism in planta. Data from tree core analysis of the tree tissues provided further supporting evidence of the enhanced rate of degradation of the chlorinated solvents in the inoculated trees. Test well groundwater analyses demonstrated a marked decrease in concentration of TCE and its derivatives from the tree-associated groundwater plume. The concentration of TCE decreased from 300 \u3bcg/L upstream of the planted area to less than 5 \u3bcg/L downstream of the planted area. TCE derivatives were similarly removed with cis-1,2-dichloroethene decreasing from 160 \u3bcg/L to less than 5 \u3bcg/L and trans-1,2-dichloroethene decreasing from 3.1 \u3bcg/L to less than 0.5 \u3bcg/L downstream of the planted trees. 1,1-dichloroethene and vinyl chloride both decreased from 6.8 and 0.77 \u3bcg/L, respectively, to below the reporting limit of 0.5 \u3bcg/L providing strong evidence of the ability of the endophytic inoculated trees to effectively remove TCE from affected groundwater. The combination of native pollutant-degrading endophytic bacteria and fast-growing poplar tree systems offers a readily deployable, cost-effective approach for the degradation of TCE, and may help mitigate potential transfer up the food chain, volatilization to the atmosphere, as well as direct phytotoxic impacts to plants used in this type of phytoremediation

Segmentation of multiple heart cavities in 3-D transesophageal ultrasound images

Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is an excellent modality for real-time visualization of the heart and monitoring of interventions. To improve the usability of 3-D TEE for intervention monitoring and catheter guidance, automated segmentation is desired. However, 3-D TEE segmentation is still a challenging task due to the complex anatomy with multiple cavities, the limited TEE field of view, and typical ultrasound artifacts. We propose to segment all cavities within the TEE view with a multi-cavity active shape model (ASM) in conjunction with a tissue/blood classification based on a gamma mixture model (GMM). 3-D TEE image data of twenty patients were acquired with a Philips X7-2t matrix TEE probe. Tissue probability maps were estimated by a two-class (blood/tissue) GMM. A statistical shape model containing the left ventricle, right ventricle, left atrium, right atrium, and aorta was derived from computed tomography angiography (CTA) segmentations by principal component analysis. ASMs of the whole heart and individual cavities were generated and consecutively fitted to tissue probability maps. First, an average whole-heart model was aligned with the 3-D TEE based on three manually indicated anatomical landmarks. Second, pose and shape of the whole-heart ASM were fitted by a weighted update scheme excluding parts outside of the image sector. Third, pose and shape of ASM for individual heart cavities were initialized by the previous whole heart ASM and updated in a regularized manner to fit the tissue probability maps. The ASM segmentations were validated against manual outlines by two observers and CTA derived segmentations

Semi-automatic border detection method for left ventricular volume estimation in 4D ultrasound data

We propose a semi-automatic endocardial border detection method for LV volume estimation in 3D time series of cardiac ultrasound data. It is based on pattern matching and dynamic programming techniques and operates on 2D slices of the 4D data requiring minimal user-interaction. We evaluated on data acquired with the Fast Rotating Ultrasound (FRU) transducer: a linear phased array transducer rotated at high speed around its image axis, generating high quality 2D images of the heart. We automatically select a subset of 2D images at typically 10 rotation angles and 16 cardiac phases. From four manually drawn contours a 4D shape model and a 4D edge pattern model is derived. For the selected images, contour shape and edge patterns are estimated using the models. Pattern matching and dynamic programming is applied to detect the contours automatically. The method allows easy corrections in the detected 2D contours, to iteratively achieve more accurate models and improved detections. An evaluation of this method on FRU data against MRI was done for full cycle LV volumes on 10 patients. Good correlations were found against MRI volumes [r=0.94, y=0.72x + 30.3, difference of 9.6 +/- 17.4 ml (Av +/- SD)] and a low interobserver variability for US (r=0.94, y=1.11x - 16.8, difference of 1.4 +/- 14.2 ml). On average only 2.8 corrections per patient were needed (in a total of 160 images). Although the method shows good correlations with MRI without corrections, applying these corrections can make significant improvements

Development of bean plants in soil contaminated with trifloxysulfuron-sodium after Stizolobium aterrimum and Canavalia ensiformis cultivation Desenvolvimento de plantas de feijão em solo contaminado com trifloxysulfuron-sodium, após o cultivo de Stizolobium aterrimum e Canavalia ensiformis

Phytoremediation, the use of plants to decontaminate soils and water resources from organic pollutants such as herbicides, is economically and environmentally a promising technique applied in many areas, including agriculture. The objective of this work was to evaluate the development of bean plants cultivated in the field, in soil with different levels of trifloxysulfuron-sodium contamination, following cultivation of two green manure species, as well as to evaluate the possibility of recontamination of the area by such herbicide with the straw permanence on the soil. The experiment was carried out in Coimbra, MG, Brazil, on a sandy clayey Red - Yellow Argisol from March to November 2003. Four levels of soil contamination with trifloxysulfuron-sodium (0.00; 3.75; 7.50; and 15.00 g ha-1) were used as well as the following five types of cultivation prior to bean sowing in the area after herbicide application: black velvet beans (Stizolobium aterrimum) followed by removal of straw; S. aterrimum, followed by permanence of straw; jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis), followed by removal of straw; C. ensiformis followed by permanence of straw; and without prior cultivation, weed-free (weeded control). The leguminous plants were kept in the area for 65 days, cut close to the soil, and with its aerial part left or not on the surface of the experimental plot, depending on the treatment. Fifteen days after the species were cut, bean was sown in the area. At 45 days after emergence (DAE) of the bean plants, plant height and dry mass of the aerial part were evaluated. Grain productivity was determined during harvest. Height, dry matter of the aerial part and grain productivity of the bean plants, cultivated in an area previously contaminated with trifloxysulfuron-sodium at any of the levels tested, were higher with prior cultivation of S. aterrimum or C. ensiformis. At the lowest level of herbicide contamination, prior cultivation of C. ensiformis was found to be more efficient than that of S. aterrimum in mitigating the harmful effects of trifloxysulfuron-sodium on bean grain production. The permanence of the straw of the green manure species during the bean cycle did not harm the development of the plants or caused culture productivity losses, indicating that straw permanence in the area does not promote recontamination of the area.<br>A utilização de plantas para descontaminar solos e recursos hídricos de poluentes orgânicos, como os herbicidas, denominada fitorremediação, desponta como técnica promissora tanto econômica como ambientalmente, sendo direcionada inclusive para a agricultura. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desenvolvimento de plantas de feijão cultivadas em campo, em solo com diferentes níveis de contaminação do herbicida trifloxysulfuron-sodium, após o cultivo prévio de duas espécies de adubos verdes, bem como a possibilidade de recontaminação da área pelo herbicida com a permanência da palhada sobre o solo. O experimento foi conduzido em campo em Coimbra, MG, em um Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo de textura argilo-arenosa. Avaliaram-se quatro níveis de contaminação do solo com trifloxysulfuron-sodium (0,00; 3,75; 7,50; e 15,00 g ha-1) e cinco tipos de cultivo prévio à semeadura do feijão na área após aplicação do herbicida: cultivo de mucuna-preta (Stizolobium aterrimum) com posterior retirada da sua palhada; cultivo de mucuna-preta seguido da permanência da palhada; cultivo de feijão-de-porco (Canavalia ensiformis) com retirada da palhada em seguida; cultivo de feijão-de-porco com posterior permanência da palhada; e sem cultivo prévio, com a área mantida no limpo (testemunha capinada). As plantas das leguminosas de cobertura foram mantidas na área por 65 dias, quando foram cortadas rente ao solo, sendo sua parte aérea deixada ou não sobre a superfície da parcela experimental, dependendo do tratamento. Quinze dias após o corte das espécies, foi semeada na área a cultura do feijão. Aos 45 dias após a emergência (DAE) das plantas de feijão, avaliaram-se a altura de plantas e a massa seca da parte aérea. A produtividade de grãos foi determinada por ocasião da colheita. A altura de plantas, a massa seca da parte aérea e a produtividade de grãos de feijão, cultivado em área com contaminação prévia do trifloxysulfuron-sodium em qualquer dos níveis testados, foram superiores quando se realizou o cultivo prévio na área com mucuna-preta ou feijão-de-porco. No menor nível de contaminação do herbicida, o cultivo prévio de feijão-de-porco se mostrou mais eficiente, em relação ao da mucuna-preta, em mitigar os efeitos deletérios do trifloxysulfuron-sodium à produção de grãos de feijão. A manutenção da palhada das espécies de adubos verdes durante o ciclo do feijão não prejudicou o desenvolvimento das plantas e não provocou perdas na produtividade da cultura, indicando que a permanência da palhada na superfície do solo não promove a recontaminação da área