Is rhamnolipid biosurfactant useful in cadmium phytoextraction?

Purpose: Successful chelant-assisted phytoextraction requires application of an eco-friendly metal-complexing agent which enhances metal uptake but does not pose a significant risk of off-site movement of metals. Rhamnolipid biosurfactant has been used to enhance cadmium (Cd) removal from contaminated soil by washing. It has a strong affinity for Cd compared to some other hazardous metals, suggesting that rhamnolipid could be useful in Cd phytoextraction. This study investigated the potential use of rhamnolipid to enhance Cd phytoextraction. Materials and methods: Adsorption patterns of rhamnolipid in soils were investigated by batch adsorption experiments. Hydrophobicity of rhamnolipid–metal complexes were determined by assessing partitioning in an octanol/water system. Phytotoxicity of rhamnolipid to maize (Zea mays) and chelant-assisted phytoextraction efficiency of maize and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) were determined in pot experiments. Results and discussion: The results showed that rhamnolipid was prone to adsorb strongly to soil at low application rates (0.1–1.7 mM) possibly due to its hydrophobic interactions with soil organic matter, hence reducing its capacity to complex and transport metals to plant roots. Rhamnolipid mobility increased (i.e. decreased soil phase partitioning) at elevated concentrations (∼4.4 mM), which increased soil solution Cd concentrations possibly due to its reduced hydrophobic nature. The use of rhamnolipid at concentrations >4.4 mM severely reduced maize biomass yield, reducing the potential for chelantassisted phytoextraction. At lower concentrations of rhamnolipid (0.02–1.4 mmol/kg), there was insignificant enhancement of Cd accumulation by plant (Z. mays and H. annuus) shoots, likely through strong retention of the chelant (or Cd-associated rhamnolipid) on soil surfaces. Conclusions: High rates of rhamnolipid addition to soils in this study caused severe phytotoxicity to maize and sunflower. Lower rates of rhamnolpid addition to soils in this study did not improve Cd accumulation by plants. Therefore, the sorption of rhamnolipid (or Cd-associated rhamnolipid) to soils, along with the phytotoxicity and phytoextraction results, suggests that neither low nor high concentrations of rhamnolipid are likely to consistently assist Cd phytoextraction using maize or sunflower.Jia Wen, Mike J. McLaughlin, Samuel P. Stacey and Jason K. Kirb

Pedotransfer functions of potentially toxic elements in tropical soils cultivated with vegetable crops

The anthropogenic input of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from industry, agrochemicals, etc., into the environment are of great concern. Models derived from pedotransfer functions can provide estimates of the levels of PTEs based on soil attributes. Based on the importance of these models in studies in contaminated areas, we assessed the concentrations of the reactive contents of Ba, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn in soils cultivated with vegetable crops in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We also evaluated the influence of chemical and physical soil attributes on their reactivity and availability. The reactive contents of PTEs represent the fraction of PTEs easily sorbed at the adsorptions sites of organic matter, iron hydroxides, or clay. This fraction can supply information about the PTE content that is more or less readily released into the soil solution. The reactive and available fraction was extracted with 0.43 M HNO3 and 0.01 M CaCl2, respectively. The proportion of reactivity of metal pools decreased in the order of Ba>Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cr. The empirical models were able to predict the relationship between the reactive fractions, the pseudototal content, and the soil attributes. The available concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb in the soils were lower than the limit of quantification, while 3% of the Ba content and 1% of the Zn content were available in the soil solution in relation to their pseudototal content, suggesting low mobility of these elements in the soil.publishe