• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.2737-2740
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• 2012

The use of plants to remove toxic metals from soil (phytoremediation) is emerging as a cost-effective alternative to conventional methods for the removal of heavy metals from contaminated soil. Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) was used as the plant to accumulate high tissue concentrations of lead when grown in contaminated soil. For this study, the application of an electric field combined effectively with EDTA-enhanced phytoremediation. A stimulation of direct and alternating electric potential was compared and EDTA-enhanced phytoremediation of lead using Indian mustard has been performed. The effects of experimental parameters such as operating voltage with different concentration of EDTA, the number of graphite electrodes, and cultivation period on the removal of toxic metal were studied. Shoot lead accumulations in Indian mustard increased as the concentration of EDTA and dc electric potential was increased. Two to four folds was increased when EDTA plus a dc electric potential was applied, compared to an ac electric potential. The maximum lead accumulation in the shoots was achieved by applying EDTA plus dc electric potential with 6 graphite electrodes.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.281-288
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• 2012

Phytoremediation-the use of plants for the in situ treatment of contaminated soil and water-has recently emerged as an inexpensive and user-friendly alternative to traditional methods of environmental clean-up. The present article outlines the characteristics of phytoremediation based on accumulated research evidence, along with discussions on its advantages and disadvantages. It further reviews various mechanisms involved in the phytoremediation processes: phytoextraction, rhizofiltration, phytostabilization, phytovolatilization and phytodegradation. Along the way, the author summarizes examples of its applications to environmental pollution control. These include wastewater treatment, removal of heavy metals, and hydrocarbons, remediation of recalcitrant contaminants, phytoremediation of radionuclides, and application of transgenic plants for enhanced biodegradation and phytoremediation. The remainder of the article briefly concludes with directions for future research.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2010

In order to deal with the problem that phytoremediation takes long time in achieving the practical effect, the enhanced phytoremediation by Barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) was conducted. In addition, we examined the synergistic effect by adding PSM (phosphate -solubilizing microbes) and EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) to the arsenic contaminated soil in the vicinity of the abandoned mine. The removal efficiency of arsenic in the site with PSM application increased about 16% when compared to control site, which was due to increase of plant biomass. The EDTA has been successfully utilized in respect of enhanced mobility and solubility of arsenic in the soil. As a result, BF (bioaccumulation factor) significantly increased but the inhibition of plant growth resulted in 20% reduction of arsenic removal efficiency. The application of PSM and EDTA may enhance the efficiency of phytoremediation. However, the time and method of EDTA application should be further examined to reach the maximum removal efficiency.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.314-317
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• 2003

Plants may enhance the remediation of munitions at contaminated soils using various natural processes. A computer model can be used as a valuable tool for assisting phytoremediation by predicting the transport and fate of target contaminants at remediation sites. For this research, modeling of phytoremediation and bioremediation of soil contaminated with 2, 4, 6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was studied. Indian mallow (Abutilion avicennae) was grown in columns packed with 126mg TNT/kg contaminated soils for 50 days and a simulation model was developed to simulate the transport and fate of TNT and its breakdown products interacting with plant roots in a partially saturated soil. The column test showed the substantially enhanced reduction of TNT and greater soil microbial activity in Indian mallow planted soil compared to unplanted soil. The model successfully simulated the fate of TNT and by-products in phytoremediation. The results suggested that plants could provide favorable environments for reduction of TNT.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.15-26
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• 2010

The contaminated soils near abandoned mine area can threaten human's health and natural ecosystems through multiple pathways. Remediation of contaminated soil using physicochemical technologies are expensive and destructive of soil environments. On the other hand, environmentally friendly approach that maximize biological remediation, that is, phytoremediation, attracts attention as a low carbon green growth technology. This research is a field demonstration study, focused on the enhanced phytoremediation by bioaugmenting PGPR(Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria)that is helpful on the growth of and heavy metal removal by Echinochloa frumentacea, at a Zn contaminated paddy soil near SamBo mine at Hwasung, Kyunggi. The results showed that the zinc removal by the plant with PSM(Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria), a kind of PGPR, was three times higher than that by the control. The results are valuable as it is a result from the field-scale technology demonstration. The results also implies that application of PGPR can enhance heavy metal removal from contaminated soil in full scale phytoremediation using Echinochloa frumentacea.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.59-70
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• 2012

In this study, to select the best stabilizer for the heavy metals-contaminated soil from a smelter area during phytoremediation, a plant uptake experiment and a soil stabilization were simultaneously applied using Pteris multifida Poir. and five pre-screened stabilizers(zeolite, Mn dioxide, slag, Ca oxide, and magnetite). The extracted heavy metal was measured and compared using a 3 step sequential extraction for the soil samples. The growth rate of the plant was also evaluated. The stabilizers stabilized heavy metals in soil and reduced the extraction rate. Magnetite and calcium oxide showed better results than other stabilizers. The stabilizers enhanced the growth of the plant. All the heavy metals except for arsenic were concentrated in roots while arsenic was concentrated in leaves of the plant. It is concluded that the stabilizers can minimize the heavy metal release from the contaminated soil during phytoremediation and stimulated the growth of plant. These effects of stabilizers could compensate for some weak points of phytoremediation such as reaching of heavy metals by rainwater.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 2016

A siderophore-producing bacterium (i.e., Pseudomonas aeruginosa) capable of chelating Fe³⁺ from its mineral form (i.e., iron oxides) was used to enhance As uptake by plants. Since As in soil is mainly associated with iron oxides, siderophore can play an important role in As mobilization through the dissolution of As-bearing iron oxides. A series of pot experiment using Pteris cretica showed that As removal by P. cretica with siderophore-producing bacteria addition increased more than three times compared to that without bacteria addition. Competition between indigenous bacteria and introduced bacteria (i.e., P. aeruginosa) was also observed, but such competition seemed not to be significant. This study suggests that enhanced-phytoremediation by siderophore-producing bacteria addition could be a visible option for longterm As removal in the forest area at the former Janghang smelter site.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.280-291
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• 2007

Much research has been conducted in the field of phytoremediation since the discovery of the range of plants known as hyperaccumulators. Research has focused simultaneously on elucidating the mechanism of metal(loid) accumulation and development of practical techniques to enhance accumulation efficiency. To date, it is generally understood that there are five specific mechanisms employed by hyperaccumulating plant species that are either not or under utilized by non-hyperaccumulators. These include 1) enhanced metal(loid)s uptake through the root cell, 2) enhanced translocation in plant tissue, 3) detoxification and sequestration, 4) enhanced metal availability in soil:root interface, and 5) active root foraging toward metal(loid) enriched soils. Among these mechanisms, understanding of the plant-root effect on metal(loid) dynamics and subsequent plant uptake is vital to overcome the inherit limitation of phytoremediation caused by low metal(loid) solubility in soils. Plant roots can influence the soil chemistry in the rhizosphere through changes in pH and exudation of organic compounds such as low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) which consequently change metal(loid) solubility. The decrease in soil pH by plant release of $H^+$ results in increased metal solubility. Elevated levels of organic compounds in response to high metal soil concentrations by plant exudation may also increases metal concentration in soil solution through formation of organometallic complexes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.182-195
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• 2000

Indigenous bacteria from poplar roots (Populus mnadensis var. eugenei, 'Imperial Carolina') and Southern Californian shrub rhizospheres as well as two tree-colonizing Rhizobium strains (ATCC 10320 and 35645) were genetically engineered to express constitutively and stably toluene o-monooxygenase (TOM) from Burkholderia cepacia G4 by integrating the torn locus into the chromosome. The poplar and Rhizobium recombinants degraded trichloroethylene (TCE) at 0.8-2.1 nmol/min.mg protein (initial TCE concentration, 10u M) and competitive against the unengineered hosts in wheat and barley rhizospheres for one month (colonization at 1-23 $\times$ 10$^{5}$ CFU/cm root). In addition, six of these recombinants colonized poplar roots stably and competitively with populations as high as 79 $\pm$ 12% of all rhizosphere bacteria after 28 days (0.2-31 $\times$ 10$^{5}$ CFU/cm root). Furthermore, five of the most-competitive poplar recombinants (e.g., Pb3-1 and Pb5-1 which were identified as Pseudomonas PsK) retained the ability to express TOM for 29 days as 100 $\pm$ 0% of the recombinants detected in the poplar rhizosphere had constitutive expression of TOM.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.324-329
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• 2020

Reed (Phragmites spp.) is a rhizomatous plant of the Poaceae family and is known as high tolerant plant to heavy metal contaminants. This plant is widely recognized as a Cd root-accumulator, but improved heavy metal tolerance and uptake capacity are still required for phytoremediation efficiency. To enhance capacity of hyperaccumulator plants, ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) as chemical mutagen has been introduced and applied to remediation approaches. This study aimed to select EMS-mutagenized reeds representing high Cd resistance and large biomass and to investigate their ability of Cd accumulation. After 6 months cultivation of M₂ mutant reeds under Cd stress conditions (up to 1,500 µM), we discovered seven mutant individuals that showed good performances like survivorship, vitality, and high accumulation of Cd, particularly in their roots. Compared to wild type (WT) reeds as control, on average, dry weight of mutant type (MT) reeds was larger by 2 and 1.5 times in roots and shoots, respectively. In addition, these mutant plants accumulated 6 times more Cd, mostly in the roots. In particular, MT8 reeds showed the greatest ability to accumulate Cd. These results suggest that EMS mutagenesis could generate hyperaccumulator plants with enhanced Cd tolerance and biomass, thereby contributing to improvement of phytoremediation efficiency in Cd-contaminated soil or wastewater. Further studies should focus on identifying Cd tolerance mechanisms of such EMS-mutagenized plants, developing techniques for its biomass production, and investigating the practical potential of the EMS mutants for phytoremediation.