title: Potential of phytoremediation for the removal of petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated salt marsh sediments.
abstract: Degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in colonized and un-colonized sediments by salt marsh plants Juncus maritimus and Phragmites australis collected in a temperate estuary was investigated during a 5-month greenhouse experiment. The efficiency of two bioremediation treatments namely biostimulation (BS) by the addition of nutrients, and bioaugmentation (BA) by addition of indigenous microorganisms was tested in comparison with hydrocarbon natural attenuation in un-colonized and with rhizoremediation in colonized sediments. Hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms and root biomass were assessed as well as hydrocarbon degradation levels. During the study, hydrocarbon degradation in un-colonized sediments was negligible regardless of treatments. Rhizoremediation proved to be an effective strategy for hydrocarbon removal, yielding high rates in most experiments. However, BS treatments showed a negative effect on the J. maritimus potential for hydrocarbon degradation by decreasing the root system development that lead to lower degradation rates. Although both plants and their associated microorganisms presented a potential for rhizoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated salt marsh sediments, results highlighted that nutrient requirements may be distinct among plant species, which should be accounted for when designing cleanup strategies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Hidrobiologia e Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar (ICBAS-UP), Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, Ed.1, Piso 4, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; CIMAR/CIIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, P 4050-123 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: hribeiro@ciimar.up.pt.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: CIMAR/CIIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, P 4050-123 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mucha
authors.affiliation: CIMAR/CIIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, P 4050-123 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: C Marisa R
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Hidrobiologia e Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar (ICBAS-UP), Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, Ed.1, Piso 4, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; CIMAR/CIIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, P 4050-123 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Adriano A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Bordalo
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D010578:Petroleum; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D010578:Petroleum; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Bioaugmentation; Biostimulation; Greenhouse experiment; Petroleum contamination; Rhizoremediation; Salt marsh