Performance and bacterial community shifts during phosphogypsum biotransformation

Phosphogypsum (PG) is an industrial waste composed mainly by sulfate, turning it a suitable sulfate source for sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). In the present work, the capability of two SRB communities, one enriched from Portuguese PG (culture PG) and the other from sludge from a wastewater treatment plant (culture WWT-1), to use sulfate from PG was compared. In addition, the impact of this sulfate-rich waste in the microbial community was assessed. The highest efficiency in terms of sulfate reduction was observed with culture WWT-1. The bacterial composition of this culture was not significantly affected when sodium sulfate from the nutrient medium was replaced by PG as a sulfate source. Next generation sequencing (NGS) showed that this community was phylogenetically diverse, composed by bacteria affiliated to Clostridium, Arcobacter, and Sulfurospirillum genera and by SRB belonging to Desulfovibrio, Desulfomicrobium, and Desulfobulbus genera. In contrast, the bacterial structure of the community enriched from PG was modified when sodium sulfate was replaced by PG as the sulfate source. This culture, which showed the poorest performance in the use of sulfate from PG, was mainly composed by SRB related to Desulfosporosinus genus. The present work provides new information regarding the phylogenetic characterization of anaerobic bacterial communities with the ability to use PG as sulfate donor, thus, contributing to improve the knowledge of microorganisms suitable to be used in PG bioremediation. Additionally, this paper demonstrates that an alternative to lactate and low-cost carbon source (wine wastes) can be used efficiently for that purpose

Monitoring of microbial hydrocarbon remediation in the soil

Bioremediation of hydrocarbon pollutants is advantageous owing to the cost-effectiveness of the technology and the ubiquity of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms in the soil. Soil microbial diversity is affected by hydrocarbon perturbation, thus selective enrichment of hydrocarbon utilizers occurs. Hydrocarbons interact with the soil matrix and soil microorganisms determining the fate of the contaminants relative to their chemical nature and microbial degradative capabilities, respectively. Provided the polluted soil has requisite values for environmental factors that influence microbial activities and there are no inhibitors of microbial metabolism, there is a good chance that there will be a viable and active population of hydrocarbon-utilizing microorganisms in the soil. Microbial methods for monitoring bioremediation of hydrocarbons include chemical, biochemical and microbiological molecular indices that measure rates of microbial activities to show that in the end the target goal of pollutant reduction to a safe and permissible level has been achieved. Enumeration and characterization of hydrocarbon degraders, use of micro titer plate-based most probable number technique, community level physiological profiling, phospholipid fatty acid analysis, 16S rRNA- and other nucleic acid-based molecular fingerprinting techniques, metagenomics, microarray analysis, respirometry and gas chromatography are some of the methods employed in bio-monitoring of hydrocarbon remediation as presented in this review

Technical and meteorological factors affecting nitrogen dispersion on the permanent meadow fertilized with liquid manure

Stosowano doglebowe oraz rozbryzgowe nawożenie gnojówką łąki trwałej w ilości 10 m3 . ha-1 i 20 m3 . ha-1, tj. 30 kg Nźha-1 i 60 kg Nźha-1. Badania rozproszenia się azotu w środowisku badano poprzez emisję amoniaku do atmosfery oraz jego mineralnych form w górnych warstwach gleby. Badania wskazują, że rozbryzgowy sposób nawożenia gnojówką powoduje większą emisję amoniaku niż doglebowy. Emisja amoniaku w zróżnicowanych warunkach meteorologicznych wykazała, że takie czynniki jak temperatura powietrza, niedosyt wilgotności powietrza oraz opady istotnie ją kształtują.In-soil and spreading methods of the liquid manure application at 10 and 20 m3.ha-1, i.e. 30 and 60 kg N.ha-1, were used on the permanent meadow. Nitrogen dispersion in the environment was investigated by measuring ammonia emission to atmosphere and the contents of mineral N forms in top soil layers. The investigation showed that the spreading system of liquid manure increased ammonia emission, as compared to the in-soil method. Ammonia emission under differentiated meteorological conditions indicated that the factors such as air temperature, deficiency of air humidity and precipitation, significantly affect its intensity

Analysis of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium balance in meadow organic farms

Ekologiczny sposób gospodarowania ogranicza ilość składników wprowadzanych do gospodarstwa z zewnątrz i może zakłócać/utrudniać racjonalną gospodarkę tymi składnikami. Oceny gospodarowania składnikami N, P, K w wybranych, zróżnicowanych obszarowo, gospodarstwach ekologicznych z dużym udziałem trwałych użytków zielonych dokonano na podstawie badań ankietowych prowadzonych w latach 2005-2006. Opracowano bilanse tych składników wykorzystując metodę "u wrót gospodarstwa". Salda tych bilansów były wyraźnie zróżnicowane w zależności od obszaru gospodarstwa, a także obsady zwierząt, struktury zasiewów i udziału trwałych użytków zielonych w użytkach rolnych i udziału bobowatych w runi. Najwyższe salda bilansu azotu (nadwyżki), stwierdzono w grupie gospodarstw najmniejszych 1,0-10,0 ha, charakteryzujących się największą obsadą zwierząt gospodarskich, i największych, z grupy >50 ha o znacznie mniejszej obsadzie zwierząt i z dominacją zbóż w strukturze zasiewów. Najbardziej wyrównane salda bilansu azotu wystąpiły w grupie gospodarstw 10,1-20,0 ha, charakteryzujących się średnią obsadą zwierząt (0,8 DJP·ha-¹), mniejszym udziałem użytków zielonych w UR oraz dużą różnorodnością upraw polowych. Salda bilansu fosforu i potasu w większości gospodarstw były ujemne, wskazujące przede wszystkim na potrzebę zwiększenia obsady zwierząt i produkcji obornika.Ecological way of farming may limit the input of elements to the farm and may disturb/hamper rational use of these elements. N, P and K management in selected organic farms of various areas and large part of permanent grasslands was assessed based on questionnaire studies in the years 2005-2006. Nutrient balance was calculated with the "at the farm's gate" method. The balances were distinctly differentiated depending on farms' area, animal stock, crop structure, percentage share of grasslands in total croplands and the share of legumes in sward. The largest nitrogen surplus was found in smallest farms of an area from 1.0 to 10.0 ha having large animal stock and in the largest farms of an area over 50 ha with much smaller animal stock and cereals dominating in the crop structure. Most even nitrogen balance was characteristic for farms of 10.1 to 20.0 ha with medium animal stock (0.8 LU ha-¹), smaller percentage of grasslands and variable field crops. Phosphorus and potassium balance was negative in most farms indicating the need for increasing animal stock and manure production

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium balances in ecological farms of differential areas

Badania ankietowe przeprowadzone w wybranych łąkarskich gospodarstwach ekologicznych w siedmiu województwach naszego kraju umożliwiła dokonanie oceny gospodarki azotem, fosforem i potasem poprzez bilanse tych składników. Salda bilansowe były zróżnicowane w poszczególnych grupach obszarowych. Najbardziej korzystne salda bilansu azotu i fosforu oraz znaczne wyrównanie sald potasu, zarówno w 2005 oraz 2006 r. stwierdzono w grupie obszarowej gospodarstw od 10,1 do 20,0 ha. Gospodarstwa w tej grupie charakteryzowały się dużą obsadą zwierząt, ok. 0,8 DJPźha-1, mniejszym udziałem użytków zielonych w UR oraz dużą różnorodnością upraw polowych na gruntach ornych. Najwyższe salda bilansowe potasu (najwyższe nadmiar), stwierdzono w 2006 r. w grupie gospodarstw najmniejszych (1,0-10,0 ha), o jednocześnie największej obsadzie zwierząt gospodarskich. Gospodarstwa z grup obszarowych od 20,1 do 50,0 ha i >50 ha charakteryzowały się mniejszą obsadą zwierząt, dominującym udziałem zbóż w strukturze zasiewów oraz najbardziej niekorzystnymi saldami bilansowymi azotu i fosforu oraz potasu, głównie w 2005 r.Selected ecological grassland farms located in seven Polish provinces were inquired to make possible to evaluate the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium management through balances of these nutrients. Balances in particular area groups were clearly varied. The most profitable nitrogen and phosphorus balances with considerable equal potassium balances were noticed in 10.1-20.0 ha area group both in 2005 and 2006. Farms in this group had high livestock density, about 0.8 LUźha-1, lower share of grasslands in croplands and high diversity of arable farming. The highest balances of potassium (the highest surpluses) were noticed in 2006 in 1.0-10.0 ha area group with the highest livestock density. The farms of 20.1-50.0 ha and > 50 ha area groups had lower livestock density, with greater cereals share in cropping system and the most unprofitable nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium balances, especially in 2005

Culturable bacteria community development in postglacial soils of Ecology Glacier, King George Island, Antarctica

Glacier forelands are excellent sites in which to study microbial succession because conditions change rapidly in the emerging soil. Development of the bacterial community was studied along two transects on lateral moraines of Ecology Glacier, King George Island, by culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches (denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis, DGGE). Environmental conditions such as cryoturbation and soil composition affected both abundance and phylogenetic diversity of bacterial communities. Microbiocenosis structure along transect 1(severe cryoturbation) differed markedly from that along transect 2 (minor cryoturbation). Soil physical and chemical factors changed along the chronosequence (time since exposure) and influenced the taxonomic diversity of cultivated bacteria (CB), particularly along transect 2. Arthrobacter spp. played a pioneer role, and were present in all soil samples, but were most abundant along transect 1. Cultivated bacteria isolated from transect 2 were taxonomically more diverse than those cultivated from transect 1; those from transect 1 tended to express a broader range of enzyme and assimilation activities. Our data suggest that cryoturbation is a major factor in controlling bacterial community development in postglacial soils, shed light on microbial succession in glacier forelands, and add a new parameter to models that describe succession phenomena