title: A hydroponic system for growing gnotobiotic vs. sterile plants to study phytoremediation processes.
abstract: In some phytoremediation studies it is desirable to separate and define the specific contribution of plants and root-colonizing bacteria towards contaminant removal. Separating the influence of plants and associated bacteria is a difficult task for soil root environments. Growing plants hydroponically provides more control over the biological factors in contaminant removal. In this study, a hydroponic system was designed to evaluate the role of sterile plant roots, rhizodeposition, and root-associated bacteria in the removal of a model contaminant, phenol. A strain of Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes that grows on phenol was inoculated onto plant roots. The introduced biofilm persisted in the root zone and promoted phenol removal over non-augmented controls. These findings indicate that this hydroponic system can be a valuable tool for phytoremediation studies that investigate the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on pollution remediation.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurzbaum
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kirzhner
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Armon
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D018527:Hydroponics / Q000379:methods*; D019800:Phenol / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D044205:Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes / Q000502:physiology*; D036226:Seedlings / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D003313:Zea mays / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D019800:Phenol