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Lindane removal using Streptomyces strains and maize plants: a biological system for reducing pesticides in soils

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Abstract

Background and aims

Plants and contaminant-degrading microbes are a suitable combination for the remediation of pesticides. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Streptomyces strains cultured with maize plants in relation to lindane removal.

Methods

Four Streptomyces strains were cultured and added as both single and mixed cultures, along with maize plants, to artificially polluted hydroponic systems and soils. The effectiveness of the resulting soil bioremediation was then evaluated through phytotoxicity testing using lettuce seedlings.

Results

In the hydroponic and soil experiments, similar levels of lindane removal were recorded in the inoculated and non-inoculated systems where maize plants were introduced. However, the vigor index (VI) of the maize plants was highest when grown in inoculated and artificially polluted soil. In the phytotoxicity assay, the VI of the lettuce seedlings increased with increasing bioremediation time for the soils, thus indicating the effectiveness of the process.

Conclusions

Similar levels of lindane removal were recorded in both inoculated and non-inoculated planted systems, indicating that pesticide removal was not significantly affected by the bacterial inoculant. However, inoculation an actinobacteria consortium led to an increase in the VI of the maize and protected the plants against the existing toxicity. Furthermore, maize plants may attenuate the transient toxic effects of microbial lindane degradation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in Argentina by the Consejo de Investigaciones de la Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (CIUNT), the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT), and the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET).

Compliance with Ethical Standards

ᅟ

Funding

This study was funded by the Consejo de Investigaciones de la Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (CIUNT, PIUNT D504) and the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT, PICT 0480).

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI-CONICET), Avenida Belgrano y Pasaje Caseros, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina

    A. Álvarez, J. M. Saez, A. Giuliano & M. J. Amoroso

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT), Miguel Lillo 205, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina

    A. Álvarez

  3. Unidad de Administración Territorial, Centro Científico Tecnológico (CCT), CONICET-Tucumán, Crisóstomo Álvarez 722, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina

    C. S. Benimeli

  4. Universidad del Norte Santo Tomás de Aquino (UNSTA), 9 de Julio 165, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina

    C. S. Benimeli & M. J. Amoroso

  5. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT), Ayacucho 491, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina

    M. J. Amoroso

Authors
  1. A. Álvarez
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  2. C. S. Benimeli
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  3. J. M. Saez
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  4. A. Giuliano
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  5. M. J. Amoroso
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Álvarez.

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Responsible Editor: Yoav Bashan.

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Álvarez, A., Benimeli, C.S., Saez, J.M. et al. Lindane removal using Streptomyces strains and maize plants: a biological system for reducing pesticides in soils. Plant Soil 395, 401–413 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2575-5

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