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Comparative fate of [ 14 C]trichloroethylene in the root zone of plants from a former solvent disposal site
Author(s) -
Anderson Todd A.,
Walton Barbara T.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620141206
Subject(s) - soil water , mineralization (soil science) , environmental chemistry , environmental remediation , rhizosphere , chemistry , bioremediation , trichloroethylene , phytoremediation , soil contamination , contamination , environmental science , soil science , ecology , biology , genetics , bacteria , heavy metals
A comparison of the environmental fate of [ 14 C]trichloroethylene ([ 14 C]TCE) in vegetated and nonvegetated soils from a contaminated field site indicated increased mineralization ( 14 CO 2 production) in soils containing vegetation. Mineralization in soils containing Lespedeza cuneata (Dumont), Pinus taeda (L.), Solidago sp. (all collected from a former chlorinated solvent disposal site), and Glycine max , germinated from commercially available seeds, accounted for >26% of the total recovered radioactivity compared with approximately 15% for nonvegetated soil and <9% for control (sterile) soil. Uptake of 14 C into plant tissues ranged from 1 to 21% total for leaves (or needles), stems, and roots and appeared to be related to plant species and water use during the experiment. The higher mineralization rates for [ 14 C]TCE in the vegetated soils compared with nonvegetated soils indicates that the rhizosphere provides a favorable environment for microbial degradation of organic compounds. Therefore, vegetation may play an important role in enhancing biological remediation of contaminated surface soils in situ.