Native Plant Based Phytoremediation Of Atrazine In Surface Waters Using A Floating Raft System

"Water systems in the 21st century have improved drastically compared to historical precedents due to the implementation of multi-state treatment systems. In spite of such progress, issues with contamination still remain. Persistent contaminants, such as the herbicide atrazine, plague surface water systems well outside the bounds of American farming regions and have established a constant presence in raw and treated drinking water. Despite being monitored as a regulated contaminant by the US Environmental Protection Agency, 'healthy' exposure levels are still the subject of debate among water protection and health watchdog groups. This thesis utilizes a review of water system literature to identify a potential solution for atrazine contamination using phytoremediation treatment technology deployed in floating raft systems to reduce the impact on surface water. Extensive study of precedents, hydroponics, boat design, biomimicry, and human factors considerations informed a design process for the development of a raft system prototype. A study of the prototype was conducted using 30 novice users to identify areas of improvement in terms of human factors considerations, functional attributes, and subjective characteristics. Along with gathering primary research into a possible connector unit design, this study sought to evaluate the potential for project success using a comparative analysis against a leading market competitor. This thesis concludes that the project shows promise, but requires additional testing in a large scale, longitudinal study to ensure future implementations are met with success."--Abstract

Atrazine and metolachlor have been implicated in point-source pollution at agrochemical dealerships in the Midwest, as well as in nonpoint-source contamination of surface waters caused by runoff. Prairie grasses have been used in filter strips and are also useful for phytoremediation; however, little is known about the fate of contaminants and their metabolites within a grassed system. Effects of plant uptake on formation and fate of degradation products are not known. In this thesis, atrazine and metolachlor were evaluated individually. Each 14C-labeled herbicide was added to enclosed systems to determine the fate of the parent compound and its metabolites in soil, plant, and air. Soil was treated with 25 mg/kg 14C-labeled herbicide and allowed to age for a short period to simulate conditions that could be found at an agrochemical dealership site. Four systems were then amended with a mixture of prairie grasses, and the remaining four chambers were unvegetated controls. Dissipation of each herbicide and distribution of parent compound and metabolites were recorded for 21 days for 14C-atrazine and 90 days for 14C-metolachlor. 14C-CO2 and volatile 14C-organic metabolites were collected throughout the study. After the testing period, soil and plant materials were evaluated for radioactivity, and identity of metabolites was determined. Mass balance of atrazine for both vegetated and control systems was>76%, with 40% of the applied radioactivity remaining bound to soil particles after a sequential extraction technique. Parent atrazine was the dominant compound detected, with major metabolites in soil being deethylatrazine and didealkylatrazine. Less than 0.5% of applied 14C-residue was taken up by the grasses. Approximately 2% of total applied 14C-atrazine was mineralized to 14C-CO2, with no differences between vegetated and unvegetated systems. Mass balance for metolachlor was>92% for both vegetated and control systems. Vegetation decreased the amount of metolachlor in soil, with significantly higher concentrations of the metabolites metolachlor ethane sulfonic acid and the morpholinone metabolite present in vegetated soil compared to unvegetated soil. Over 7% of applied radioactivity was taken up into plant tissue during the 97-day study, thus indicating that plant uptake plays a major role in the phytoremediation of metolachlor.

Contamination of the different components of environment through industrial and anthropogenic activities have guided new eras of research. This has lead to development of strategies/methodologies to curtail/minimize environmental contamination. Research studies conducted all over the globe established that bioremediation play a promising role in minimizing environmental contamination. In the last decade, phytoremediation studies have been conducted on a vast scale. Initial research in this scenario focused on screening terrestrial plant species that remove contaminants from soil and air. Later, scientific community realized that water is a basic necessity for sustaining life on earth and quality of which is getting deteriorated day by day. This initiated studies on phytoremediation using aquatic plants. Role of aquatic plant species in cleaning water bodies was also explored. Many of the aquatic plant species showed potential to treat domestic, municipal and industrial wastewaters and hence their use in constructed wetlands for treating wastewaters was emphasized. The present book contains five chapters. First two chapters provide information about types of contaminants commonly reported in wastewaters and enlists some important and well studied aquatic plant species known for their potential to remove various contaminants from wastewater. Subsequent chapters deal with mechanisms involved in contaminant removal by aquatic plant species, and also provide detailed information about role of aquatic plant species in wetlands. Potential of constructed wetlands in cleaning domestic and industrial wastewaters has also been discussed in detail. The strategy for enhancing phytoremediation capacity of plants by different means and effectiveness of phytoremediation technology in terms of monitory benefits has been discussed in last chapter. Last chapter also emphasizes the future aspects of this technology.

Soil harbours a wide range of microorganisms with biotic potentials which can be explored for social benefits. The book Frontiers in Soil and Environmental Microbiology comprises an overview of the complex inter-relationship between beneficial soil microbes and crop plants, and highlights the potential for utilisation to enhance crop productivity, bioremediation and soil health. The book focusses on important areas of research such as biocide production, pesticide degradation and detoxification, microbial decay processes, remediation of soils contaminated with toxic metals, industrial wastes, and hydrocarbon pollutants. Features Presents the state of the art of microbial research in environmental and soil microbiology Discusses an integrated and systematic compilation of microbes in the soil environment and its role in agriculture and plant growth and productivity Elucidates microbial application in environmental remediation Explores advanced genomics topics for uncultivable microbes of soil

The indiscriminate use of chemical substances in industrial processes and anthropogenic activities, have resulted in the release of these compounds into aquatic ecosystems through municipal, hospital and industrial discharges, producing various undesired effects on the environment and on species of ecological interest. These compounds, such as metals, pesticides, emerging pollutants and other substances are persistent and susceptible to biotic and/or abiotic transformations, yielding metabolites that can be more toxic than the original compounds. In this book, researchers from diverse environmental science disciplines share their experiences in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, and critically examine the problem of contaminants in aquatic ecosystems in Latin America, as well as the risks presented by their presence.

Water, which plays an important role in every aspect of our daily lives, is the most valuable natural resource we have on this planet. Drinking, bathing, cooking, regeneration, cleaning, production, energy, and many other uses of water originate from some of its versatile, useful, basic, and unique features. The access, purification, and reuse of water on our planet, which is of course not endless and not available for direct use, is directly related to the water chemistry that explores its inimitable properties. This book includes research on water chemistry-related applications in environmental management and sustainable environmental issues such as water and wastewater treatment, water quality management, and other similar topics. The book consists of three sections, namely, water treatment, wastewater treatment, and water splitting, respectively, and includes 11 chapters. In these chapters, water-wastewater remediation methods, nanomaterials in water treatment, and water splitting processes are comprehensively reviewed in terms of water chemistry.The editors would like to record their sincere thanks to the authors for their contributions.

Plant tissue culture (PTC) is basic to all plant biotechnologies and is an exciting area of basic and applied sciences with considerable scope for further research. PTC is also the best approach to demonstrate the totipotency of plant cells, and to exploit it for numerous practical applications. It offers technologies for crop improvement (Haploid and Triploid production, In Vitro Fertilization, Hybrid Embryo Rescue, Variant Selection), clonal propagation (Micropropagation), virus elimination (Shoot Tip Culture), germplasm conservation, production of industrial phytochemicals, and regeneration of plants from genetically manipulated cells by recombinant DNA technology (Genetic Engineering) or cell fusion (Somatic Hybridization and Cybridization). Considerable work is being done to understand the physiology and genetics of in vitro embryogenesis and organogenesis using model systems, especially Arabidopsis and carrot, which is likely to enhance the efficiency of in vitro regeneration protocols. All these aspects are covered extensively in the present book. Since the first book on Plant Tissue Culture by Prof. P.R. White in 1943, several volumes describing different aspects of PTC have been published. Most of these are compilation of invited articles by different experts or proceedings of conferences. More recently, a number of books describing the Methods and Protocols for one or more techniques of PTC have been published which should serve as useful laboratory manuals. The impetus for writing this book was to make available a complete and up-to-date text covering all basic and applied aspects of PTC for the students and early-career researchers of plant sciences and plant / agricultural biotechnology. The book comprises of nineteen chapters profusely illustrated with self-explanatory illustrations. Most of the chapters include well-tested protocols and relevant media compositions that should be helpful in conducting laboratory experiments. For those interested in further details, Suggested Further Reading is given at the end of each chapter, and a Subject and Plant Index is provided at the end of the book.

There has been a deluge of material on biodiversity, starting from a trickle back in the mid-1980's. However, this book is entirely unique in its treatment of the topic. It is unique in its meticulously crafted, scientifically informed, philosophical examination of the norms and values that are at the heart of discussions about biodiversity. And it is unique in its point of view, which is the first to comprehensively challenge prevailing views about biodiversity and its value. According to those dominant views, biodiversity is an extremely good thing – so good that it has become the emblem of natural value. The book's broader purpose is to use biodiversity as a lens through which to view the nature of natural value. It first examines, on their own terms, the arguments for why biodiversity is supposed to be a good thing. This discussion cuts a very broad and detailed swath through the scientific, economic, and environmental literature. It finds all these arguments to be seriously wanting. Worse, these arguments appear to have consequences that should dismay and perplex most environmentalists. The book then turns to a deeper analysis of these failures and suggests that they result from posing value questions from within a framework that is inappropriate for nature's value. It concludes with a novel suggestion for framing natural value. This new proposal avoids the pitfalls of the ones that prevail in the promotion of biodiversity. And it exposes the goals of conservation biology, restoration biology, and the world's largest conservation organizations as badly ill-conceived.

Water and waste management covers the design, building and operation of plants for water treatment and supply, sewerage, wastewater treatment and disposal, and solid waste treatment and disposal. Since the last edition in 2002 there has been an increasing importance on the issues reflecting climate change. This is particularly important when the result of this change must be ‘managed’ and ‘controlled’ to maintain an amenity such as water supply. This new edition includes many new entries on the topics of stormwater management and flood management, as well as the new EU Directives that cover this field.With over 7000 terms, this dictionary encompasses the most recent terminology on water and waste management. It is a handy reference for consultants, contractors and professional engineers as well as academics and students who need a quick definition to technical terms. Provides a handy reference for consultants, contractors and professional engineers as well as academics and students who need a quick definition to technical terms References US, UK and European standards, legislation and spelling providing a global relevance Offers detailed coverage of the terminology of Stormwater management and flood management not found elsewhere

This book focuses on ecological wisdom inspired restoration engineering through theories, hypotheses, policies, practical understanding, and case studies. Understanding nature’s processes is a prerequisite for the healthy and sustainable functioning of a habitable Earth. As such, the book provides a guide for readers seeking to understand and build sustainable, urban socio-ecological systems using restoration technologies based on wisdom. Motivated by recent rapid advances in restoration engineering, such as the role of green building materials in urban infrastructures, and developing sustainable landscapes to benefit the environment, economy and communities, it is an essential reference on the most promising innovative technologies. It discusses engineering methods and practices in the restoration of soil, water, heritage sites, and other ecosystems, as well as the development and applications of green building materials. It presents a holistic and systematic approach that utilizes natural resources and the concept of ecological wisdom to reap sustainable environmental, economic and social benefits to fulfill the concept of living in harmony with nature. This book is a valuable resource for civil- and environmental engineering researchers as well as organizations engaged in eco-restoration practices.