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Deployment of Microbial Biosensors to Assess the Performance of Ameliorants in Metal-Contaminated Soils

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Abstract

The remediation of metal-impacted soils requires either the enhanced mobility (and capture) of the target analytes or their effective complexation/immobilisation. In this study, a range of ameliorants (activated carbon, bonemeal, bentonite and CaSx (calcium polysulphide)) were compared to assess their effectiveness in immobilising metals in soils. In addition to chemical analysis (pH and trace element analysis), microbial biosensors were used to assess changes in the water-soluble biotoxicity of metals as a consequence of ameliorant dosing. Management of soil ameliorants requires an enhancement of K d (solid/solution partition coefficient) if soil leachate is to meet predefined environmental quality standards. Of the ameliorants tested, CaSx was the most effective per unit added for both laboratory-amended and historically contaminated soils, regardless of the metal tested. At the ameliorant concentrations used to effectively immobilise the metals, the biosensor performance was not impaired. Microbial biosensors offered a rapid and relevant screening tool to validate the reduced toxicity associated with the ameliorant dosing and could be calibrated to complement chemical analysis. While laboratory-amended soils were a logical way to evaluate the performance of the ameliorants, they were generally associated with K d values an order of magnitude lower than those of historically contaminated soils.

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Acknowledgments

SPM and MAW acknowledge European funding for FP6 project no. 043741, SD acknowledges funding from the University of Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. EED acknowledges funding from EPSRC and Remedios Limited, Aberdeen.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Snežana P. Maletić & Malcolm A. Watson

  2. Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St. Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, Scotland, UK

    Saad Dehlawi, Elizabeth E. Diplock & Graeme I. Paton

  3. Department of Environmental Health, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Saad Dehlawi

  4. Remedios Limited, James Gregory Centre, Campus 2, Aberdeen Innovation Park, Balgownie Drive, Aberdeen, AB22 8GU, Scotland, UK

    Elizabeth E. Diplock, David Mardlin & Graeme I. Paton

Authors
  1. Snežana P. Maletić
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  2. Malcolm A. Watson
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  3. Saad Dehlawi
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  4. Elizabeth E. Diplock
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  5. David Mardlin
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  6. Graeme I. Paton
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Snežana P. Maletić.

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Novelty Statement

This manuscript shows genuine research novelty because-

1. It uses an appropriately structured multi-factorial experiment to compare relevant and low-cost, widely adopted amelioration techniques to mitigate the leaching of metals from contaminated soils;

2. This comparison is underpinned using a soil with poor inherent binding properties to differentiate the behaviour of three relevant metals and the performance (on a case by case basis) of the suite of ameliorants;

3. Once the performance has been established, the manuscript translates these findings to genuinely historically contaminated soils and critically evaluates the challenge of using laboratory amended samples;

4. The manuscript complements thorough chemical analysis with the use of constitutively-marked microbial biosensor technology to place metal dosing measurements in a biotoxicity context.

Highlights

• A variety of metal-contaminated soils (at relevant doses) were treated with a range of ameliorants.

• Historically contaminated soils from industrial sites validated the laboratory amendment studies.

• Microbial biosensors were calibrated on a site specific scenario to confirm successful remediation.

• Critical review of the performance of CaSx to elements other than Cr to which most of the cited work refers.

• CaSx outperformed solid phase soil amendments across relevant concentrations.

• Comparison of K d is a relevant and rapid way to compare efficacies of remediation products.

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Maletić, S.P., Watson, M.A., Dehlawi, S. et al. Deployment of Microbial Biosensors to Assess the Performance of Ameliorants in Metal-Contaminated Soils. Water Air Soil Pollut 226, 85 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2358-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2358-x

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