Chromium phytoextraction from tannery effluent-contaminated soil by Crotalaria juncea infested with Pseudomonas fluorescens

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2014, Vol.21 (13), p.7938-7944
• Main Authors: Agarwal, Anamika, Singh, Harminder Pal, Rai, J. P. N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acidification; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bacteria; Bioavailability; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biomass; Bioremediation; Chromium; Chromium - analysis; Crotalaria; Crotalaria - metabolism; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Effluents; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Heavy metals; Industrial Waste; Legumes; Metals; Microorganisms; Plant biomass; Plant growth; Plant Roots - chemistry; Pollutants; Pseudomonas fluorescens; Research Article; Seeds; Soil - chemistry; Soil contamination; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - metabolism; Studies; Tannery wastes; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water pollution; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-2719-9

The aim of present study was to remediate chromium (Cr)-contaminated soil by Crotalaria juncea in the presence of Pseudomonas fluorescens . Inoculation of P. fluorescens in pot soil grown with C. juncea significantly increased (~2-fold) the water-soluble (Ws) and exchangeable (Ex) Cr contents in contaminated soil under greenhouse condition. It also enhanced the chlorophyll content by 92 % and plant biomass by 99 % as compared to the uninoculated C. juncea plant. The analysis showed that root and shoot uptake of Cr in C. juncea inoculated by P. fluorescens was 3.08- and 2.82-fold, respectively. This research showed that the association of C. juncea and P. fluorescens could be a promising technology for increasing the soil Cr bioavailability and plant growth for successful phytoextraction of Cr from the contaminated soil.