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Phytoremediation of 2,4‐dichlorophenol by Brassica napus hairy root cultures
Author(s) -
Agostini Elizabeth,
Coniglio María S.,
Milrad Silvia R.,
Tigier Horacio A.,
Giulietti Ana M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
biotechnology and applied biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.468
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1470-8744
pISSN - 0885-4513
DOI - 10.1042/ba20020079
Subject(s) - phytoremediation , 2,4 dichlorophenol , brassica , incubation , biodegradation , chemistry , effluent , peroxidase , botany , horticulture , nuclear chemistry , biology , enzyme , environmental chemistry , heavy metals , biochemistry , environmental engineering , organic chemistry , bacteria , engineering , genetics
We have obtained hairy root cultures of Brassica napus with high biomass and genetic stability which produce peroxidases, enzymes involved in biodegradation processes. In this work, these hairy root cultures were used to study the removal of 2,4‐dichlorophenol (2,4‐DCP), a common contaminant in industrial effluents that is highly toxic for human and aquatic life. The optimum conditions to obtain high efficiency in the removal process were established. Roots were able to remove 2,4‐DCP from aqueous solutions containing 100–1000 mg/l, in the presence of H 2 O 2 concentrations ranging from 5 to 10 mM. After a short period of incubation (15 min), high removal efficiencies were achieved (91–94%) and maximal removal, of approx. 97–98%, was obtained with 1 h of reaction. High removal efficiencies (93–95%) were observed in a broad pH range (pH 3–9), reaching 98–99% in the range pH 4–8. Moreover, roots could be re‐used, almost for six consecutive cycles, to remove 2,4‐DCP. The oxidation catalysed by peroxidases would be the main mechanism involved in this process. The results suggest that these cultures could be useful tools for phytoremediation.