SummaryNitrate reductase activity has been assayed in corn seedlings grown in a nutrient solution... more SummaryNitrate reductase activity has been assayed in corn seedlings grown in a nutrient solution containing different concentrations of nitrate and inoculated withArthrobacter sp. The enzymatic activity was greatly enhanced especially at the levels of NO3-ions suboptimal for the maximum induction. The ability of synthetic phytohormones (IAA, IPA and GA3) in inducting nitrate reductase activity has been also texted.
International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 1997
Se estudia la cepa A, identiticada coma Azotobacter vinelandii, y aislada de suelos tratados con ... more Se estudia la cepa A, identiticada coma Azotobacter vinelandii, y aislada de suelos tratados con alpechin (OMW). Se investiga su actividad nitrogenasa en alpechin y en medios de cultivo sin
Oxygen consumption, microbial growth, lignin and phenol degradation, urease, protease and nitroge... more Oxygen consumption, microbial growth, lignin and phenol degradation, urease, protease and nitrogenase activity were determined during the composting of an olivemill wastewaters (OMW)-wheat straw mixture. Oxygen consumption, microbial growth and urease activity were greatly enhanced during the thermophilic phase, reaching their maximum in about three weeks. Casein-hydrolysing protease showed a high initial activity which sharply decreased after 2 weeks. At the end of the thermophilic phase both phenols and lignin were reduced by about 70%. Composting enhanced diazotrophic microflora as indicated by nitrogenase activity which increased at the end of the thermophilic phase.
Olive-mill wastewaters (O.M.W.) containing about 7% solids were composted with wheat straw in a f... more Olive-mill wastewaters (O.M.W.) containing about 7% solids were composted with wheat straw in a forced aeration static pile. Two percent urea was added to ensure a C/N ratio of about 35. To avoid overdosing with water, a fraction of the O.M.W. equal to the weight of the straw was added initially. When composting had reached the thermophilic phase, additional doses of O.M.W. were added every 3 days as water evaporated. The ratio of O.M.W. solids:straw approached 1:1 and the thermophilic phase was extended to 35 days. Temperature, oxygen consumption, pH, C/N, total organic carbon, total extractable carbon, humic and fulvic acids and lignin degradation were followed during the process. The humification was assayed following the degree of humification, the humification rate and the humification index which respectively reached the values of 78%, 37.8% and 0.28 after 2 months. Humic acids were characterized by their elemental composition and molecular weight. A lignin degradation of about 70% was assayed at the end of the thermophilic phase. No phytotoxicity was recorded on the end product, the chemical and physical properties of which suggest its possible use as fertilizer.
Pot experiments performed in an alkaline, silty clay soil showed that the presence of Allolobopho... more Pot experiments performed in an alkaline, silty clay soil showed that the presence of Allolobophora caliginosa increased nitrate reductase activity in maize seedlings and nitrogen fixation in the soil, but did not affect photosynthesis and biomass of maize seedlings and oxygen consumption in the soil. The increase in molybdenum-depending activities is ascribed to the greater availability of molybdenum recorded in the presence of earthworms.
The protein-synthesizing capacity of 3-day-old seedlings of radish and lettuce grown in the prese... more The protein-synthesizing capacity of 3-day-old seedlings of radish and lettuce grown in the presence of earthworm casts was investigated using L-tac-leucine incorporation. The results showed that earthworm casts increased protein synthesis by 24~ for lettuce and 3207o for radish, althought no significant differences in protein content were evident.
Nowadays Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and related pollutants, such as coal tar and cre... more Nowadays Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and related pollutants, such as coal tar and creosote, represent a paramount of environmental concern as it has been pointed out by several American and European laws and regulations (i.e. EU Directive 2001/90/CE). Several PAHs have been identified to be hazardous for human health due to carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and teratogenicity. The aim of this research is to determine the efficacy of selected basidiomycetes and ascomycetes in the bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), with a particular focus onto the possibility to apply white-rot fungi for the bioremediation of creosote in expended wood sleepers. Fungal species which have demonstrated higher resistance to different pollutant concentrations have been further investigated to determine their capability to produce ligninolytic enzymes, such as laccase (E.C. 1.10.3.2), manganese dependent peroxidase (E.C. 1.11.1.13), lignin peroxidase (E.C. 1.11.1.13), as a pa...
Mycoremediation is a form of bioremediation, which exploits fungi in pollutant isolation and degr... more Mycoremediation is a form of bioremediation, which exploits fungi in pollutant isolation and degradation. Application of the mycoremediation for decontamination is one of effective waste disposal options. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are one of the main components of coal tar, which is used for impregnation of wooden railway sleepers as it is efficient wood preservative against fungi. Some species of fungi have ability to degrade or metabolize PAH. In general, fungal metabolites are less toxic than primary hydrocarbons. The discovery of PAH degrading fungi begins with determination of PAH resistant fungal species. The aim of this research comprises: 1. Screening of fungi found on the railway sleepers and surroundings in Lithuania; 2. Fungi identification; 3. Determination of efficiency of different fungal species for degradation of PAH. Five different species of fungi (Pleurotus ostreatus SMR 684, Pleurotus eryngii VMU001, Bjerkandera adusta VMU004, Irpex lacteus VMU003 an...
Mycoremediation is a form of bioremediation, which exploits fungi in pollutant isolation and degr... more Mycoremediation is a form of bioremediation, which exploits fungi in pollutant isolation and degradation. Application of the mycoremediation for decontamination is one of effective waste disposal options. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are one of the main components of coal tar, which is used for impregnation of wooden railway sleepers as it is efficient wood preservative against fungi. Some species of fungi have ability to degrade or metabolize PAH. In general, fungal metabolites are less toxic than primary hydrocarbons. The discovery of PAH degrading fungi begins with determination of PAH resistant fungal species. The aim of this research comprises: 1. Screening of fungi found on the railway sleepers and surroundings in Lithuania; 2. Fungi identification; 3. Determination of efficiency of different fungal species for degradation of PAH. Five different species of fungi (Pleurotus ostreatus SMR 684, Pleurotus eryngii VMU001, Bjerkandera adusta VMU004, Irpex lacteus VMU003 an...
Creosote is widely used as wood preservative due to its efficient properties as biocide, and it i... more Creosote is widely used as wood preservative due to its efficient properties as biocide, and it is a complex mixture of several hundreds chemicals obtained from distillation of hard coal tar mainly composed by aromatic hydrocarbons, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated PAHs (which can constitute up to 90% of it). The aim of this research is to investigate the potential of selected basidiomycetes and ascomycetes, in particular white-rot fungi for the bioremediation of creosote in expended wood crossties and to develop fungal consortia with faster biomass growth rate and/or able to enhance the production of ligninolytic enzymes in order to increase the efficiency of the mycoremediation process. Fungal species, previously selected for their resistance to different pollutant concentrations, have been further investigated to assess their ability to produce ligninolytic enzymes, such as laccase (E.C. 1.10.3.2), lignin peroxidase (E.C. 1.11.1.14), manganese depen...
Creosote is a widely used biocide for wood preservation obtained from distillation of hard coal t... more Creosote is a widely used biocide for wood preservation obtained from distillation of hard coal tar. It contains several hundreds of different chemicals such as aromatic hydrocarbons, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated PAHs. The usage of microbe-mediated technologies [1,2] for the remediation of waste materials containing creosote attracts growing interest as eco-friendly and economically valuable alternative to the conventional methods. The aim of this research focuses on the development and scale-up of technologies for the biological decontamination of expended railway wooden crossties. It encompasses the study of the stress effects on the ligninolytic enzymes secretion of Basidiomycetes, in particular due to heat shock and cold shock, the influence of the inoculum format, soil and soil pre-treatment method on the bioremediation efficiency, the antagonistic and synergistic effects of the interactions in the microbial community and the investigation on ...
Research of plant diversity : present ang future : abstracts of international scientific conferen... more Research of plant diversity : present ang future : abstracts of international scientific conferenece, June 27–28, 2013, KaunasThe wood preservatives have been extensively used in the last few decades to enhance the life expectancy of woody materials for external uses against natural and biological decay. The popular waste disposal options available for these expended materials nowadays, such as burning and land filling are not acceptable due to economic, health and environmental concerns. The development of alternative and environmental friendly methods for disposal of these waste materials is of major importance. Recently the use of microorganisms, such as whiterot fungi, capable to tolerate and / or degrade high pollutant concentrations for their chemical transformation into less hazardous compounds through solid state fermentation (ssf) processes has been seriously investigated. This presentation discusses a novel approach for bioremediation of creosotetreated railways wood sle...
This project is financed by EUSFA, grant No VP1-3.1-ŠMM-10-V-02- 010 (BIOREM)Biochemijos katedraB... more This project is financed by EUSFA, grant No VP1-3.1-ŠMM-10-V-02- 010 (BIOREM)Biochemijos katedraBiologijos katedraBotanikos sodasGamtos mokslų fakultetasKauno technologijos universitetasLietuvos sveikatos mokslų universitetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta
Abstract Wooden sleepers used in railways are impregnated with preservatives with fungicidic and ... more Abstract Wooden sleepers used in railways are impregnated with preservatives with fungicidic and bactericidic properties, which contain a large amount of harmful polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The aim of this research was to reveal the type of fungi in the rhizosphere of plants, which tolerate pollutants and can be involved in bioremediation process of creosote-contaminated used wooden railway sleepers. Tagetes patula grown in the substrate with 12.5% creosote impregnated used wooden sleepers chips additive is characterized by the most intensive root development and the biggest population of active fungi, therefore it is recommended for further investigation. Number of colonies of fungi in the rhizosphere of investigated plants decreased in many cases by increasing the amount of sleepers chips additive in substrate, however it was greater in the substrates with creosote treated wooden sleepers chips additives (12.5, 25 and 37.5% wooden sleepers chips) than in the pure substrate and various substrates with additives of pure Pinus sylvestris chips. This is a pioneering study searching for the local fungi species in Lithuania, which can be further utilized for the bioremediation of PAHs.
Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 2015
Solid digestate (SD) represents an environmental problem due to the continuous increase of biogas... more Solid digestate (SD) represents an environmental problem due to the continuous increase of biogas production. In the present study four white-rot fungal strains were screened for their ability to grow on two different SD samples, obtained from industrial biogas plants, using wheat straw (WS) as a control medium. Results show that i) the feedstock used in the biogas plant influences the time required for the colonization of the corresponding SD and ii) different fungal strains have different capabilities to colonize the same digestate. In particular, Pleurotus ostreatus SMR 684 reached the maximum proliferation on corn silage digestate (CSD) in the shortest time (12 days). Subsequently, P. ostreatus was grown on WS and CSD for 42 days with measurement of lignocellulolytic activities and lignocellulose components (lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose). Enzymatic activities reached a maximum around the 24 th day of incubation. Ligninolytic activities showed similar trends on CSD and on WS, while some differences were observed in the levels of cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic activities. Lignin was reduced by 12% on CSD, this suggesting that the fungal treatment can increase polysaccharides accessibility in view of a further utilization of SD for biorefinery purposes.
Ten commercial composts were evaluated on the basis of chemical, physical and biological characte... more Ten commercial composts were evaluated on the basis of chemical, physical and biological characteristics and compared with a compost produced by a safe matrix in controlled conditions. FT-IR spectra, 13C CP-MAS NMR spectra and molecular weights were also assayed on humic acids extracted from the composts. The results show that the origin of the starting materials affects the quality of the end products especially for their heavy metal content and genotoxic effect. The presence of a high percentage of low molecular weight fractions generally recorded in the humic acids from commercial composts could be due to uncorrected composting process. FT-IR and 13C CP-MAS NMR spectra agree with functional group assignments, characterising the level of humification. The results show that commercial composts can display harmful properties probably due to the origin of the starting material, therefore a regulation about both compost production and characterisation should be suitable.
SummaryNitrate reductase activity has been assayed in corn seedlings grown in a nutrient solution... more SummaryNitrate reductase activity has been assayed in corn seedlings grown in a nutrient solution containing different concentrations of nitrate and inoculated withArthrobacter sp. The enzymatic activity was greatly enhanced especially at the levels of NO3-ions suboptimal for the maximum induction. The ability of synthetic phytohormones (IAA, IPA and GA3) in inducting nitrate reductase activity has been also texted.
International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 1997
Se estudia la cepa A, identiticada coma Azotobacter vinelandii, y aislada de suelos tratados con ... more Se estudia la cepa A, identiticada coma Azotobacter vinelandii, y aislada de suelos tratados con alpechin (OMW). Se investiga su actividad nitrogenasa en alpechin y en medios de cultivo sin
Oxygen consumption, microbial growth, lignin and phenol degradation, urease, protease and nitroge... more Oxygen consumption, microbial growth, lignin and phenol degradation, urease, protease and nitrogenase activity were determined during the composting of an olivemill wastewaters (OMW)-wheat straw mixture. Oxygen consumption, microbial growth and urease activity were greatly enhanced during the thermophilic phase, reaching their maximum in about three weeks. Casein-hydrolysing protease showed a high initial activity which sharply decreased after 2 weeks. At the end of the thermophilic phase both phenols and lignin were reduced by about 70%. Composting enhanced diazotrophic microflora as indicated by nitrogenase activity which increased at the end of the thermophilic phase.
Olive-mill wastewaters (O.M.W.) containing about 7% solids were composted with wheat straw in a f... more Olive-mill wastewaters (O.M.W.) containing about 7% solids were composted with wheat straw in a forced aeration static pile. Two percent urea was added to ensure a C/N ratio of about 35. To avoid overdosing with water, a fraction of the O.M.W. equal to the weight of the straw was added initially. When composting had reached the thermophilic phase, additional doses of O.M.W. were added every 3 days as water evaporated. The ratio of O.M.W. solids:straw approached 1:1 and the thermophilic phase was extended to 35 days. Temperature, oxygen consumption, pH, C/N, total organic carbon, total extractable carbon, humic and fulvic acids and lignin degradation were followed during the process. The humification was assayed following the degree of humification, the humification rate and the humification index which respectively reached the values of 78%, 37.8% and 0.28 after 2 months. Humic acids were characterized by their elemental composition and molecular weight. A lignin degradation of about 70% was assayed at the end of the thermophilic phase. No phytotoxicity was recorded on the end product, the chemical and physical properties of which suggest its possible use as fertilizer.
Pot experiments performed in an alkaline, silty clay soil showed that the presence of Allolobopho... more Pot experiments performed in an alkaline, silty clay soil showed that the presence of Allolobophora caliginosa increased nitrate reductase activity in maize seedlings and nitrogen fixation in the soil, but did not affect photosynthesis and biomass of maize seedlings and oxygen consumption in the soil. The increase in molybdenum-depending activities is ascribed to the greater availability of molybdenum recorded in the presence of earthworms.
The protein-synthesizing capacity of 3-day-old seedlings of radish and lettuce grown in the prese... more The protein-synthesizing capacity of 3-day-old seedlings of radish and lettuce grown in the presence of earthworm casts was investigated using L-tac-leucine incorporation. The results showed that earthworm casts increased protein synthesis by 24~ for lettuce and 3207o for radish, althought no significant differences in protein content were evident.
Nowadays Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and related pollutants, such as coal tar and cre... more Nowadays Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and related pollutants, such as coal tar and creosote, represent a paramount of environmental concern as it has been pointed out by several American and European laws and regulations (i.e. EU Directive 2001/90/CE). Several PAHs have been identified to be hazardous for human health due to carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and teratogenicity. The aim of this research is to determine the efficacy of selected basidiomycetes and ascomycetes in the bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), with a particular focus onto the possibility to apply white-rot fungi for the bioremediation of creosote in expended wood sleepers. Fungal species which have demonstrated higher resistance to different pollutant concentrations have been further investigated to determine their capability to produce ligninolytic enzymes, such as laccase (E.C. 1.10.3.2), manganese dependent peroxidase (E.C. 1.11.1.13), lignin peroxidase (E.C. 1.11.1.13), as a pa...
Mycoremediation is a form of bioremediation, which exploits fungi in pollutant isolation and degr... more Mycoremediation is a form of bioremediation, which exploits fungi in pollutant isolation and degradation. Application of the mycoremediation for decontamination is one of effective waste disposal options. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are one of the main components of coal tar, which is used for impregnation of wooden railway sleepers as it is efficient wood preservative against fungi. Some species of fungi have ability to degrade or metabolize PAH. In general, fungal metabolites are less toxic than primary hydrocarbons. The discovery of PAH degrading fungi begins with determination of PAH resistant fungal species. The aim of this research comprises: 1. Screening of fungi found on the railway sleepers and surroundings in Lithuania; 2. Fungi identification; 3. Determination of efficiency of different fungal species for degradation of PAH. Five different species of fungi (Pleurotus ostreatus SMR 684, Pleurotus eryngii VMU001, Bjerkandera adusta VMU004, Irpex lacteus VMU003 an...
Mycoremediation is a form of bioremediation, which exploits fungi in pollutant isolation and degr... more Mycoremediation is a form of bioremediation, which exploits fungi in pollutant isolation and degradation. Application of the mycoremediation for decontamination is one of effective waste disposal options. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are one of the main components of coal tar, which is used for impregnation of wooden railway sleepers as it is efficient wood preservative against fungi. Some species of fungi have ability to degrade or metabolize PAH. In general, fungal metabolites are less toxic than primary hydrocarbons. The discovery of PAH degrading fungi begins with determination of PAH resistant fungal species. The aim of this research comprises: 1. Screening of fungi found on the railway sleepers and surroundings in Lithuania; 2. Fungi identification; 3. Determination of efficiency of different fungal species for degradation of PAH. Five different species of fungi (Pleurotus ostreatus SMR 684, Pleurotus eryngii VMU001, Bjerkandera adusta VMU004, Irpex lacteus VMU003 an...
Creosote is widely used as wood preservative due to its efficient properties as biocide, and it i... more Creosote is widely used as wood preservative due to its efficient properties as biocide, and it is a complex mixture of several hundreds chemicals obtained from distillation of hard coal tar mainly composed by aromatic hydrocarbons, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated PAHs (which can constitute up to 90% of it). The aim of this research is to investigate the potential of selected basidiomycetes and ascomycetes, in particular white-rot fungi for the bioremediation of creosote in expended wood crossties and to develop fungal consortia with faster biomass growth rate and/or able to enhance the production of ligninolytic enzymes in order to increase the efficiency of the mycoremediation process. Fungal species, previously selected for their resistance to different pollutant concentrations, have been further investigated to assess their ability to produce ligninolytic enzymes, such as laccase (E.C. 1.10.3.2), lignin peroxidase (E.C. 1.11.1.14), manganese depen...
Creosote is a widely used biocide for wood preservation obtained from distillation of hard coal t... more Creosote is a widely used biocide for wood preservation obtained from distillation of hard coal tar. It contains several hundreds of different chemicals such as aromatic hydrocarbons, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated PAHs. The usage of microbe-mediated technologies [1,2] for the remediation of waste materials containing creosote attracts growing interest as eco-friendly and economically valuable alternative to the conventional methods. The aim of this research focuses on the development and scale-up of technologies for the biological decontamination of expended railway wooden crossties. It encompasses the study of the stress effects on the ligninolytic enzymes secretion of Basidiomycetes, in particular due to heat shock and cold shock, the influence of the inoculum format, soil and soil pre-treatment method on the bioremediation efficiency, the antagonistic and synergistic effects of the interactions in the microbial community and the investigation on ...
Research of plant diversity : present ang future : abstracts of international scientific conferen... more Research of plant diversity : present ang future : abstracts of international scientific conferenece, June 27–28, 2013, KaunasThe wood preservatives have been extensively used in the last few decades to enhance the life expectancy of woody materials for external uses against natural and biological decay. The popular waste disposal options available for these expended materials nowadays, such as burning and land filling are not acceptable due to economic, health and environmental concerns. The development of alternative and environmental friendly methods for disposal of these waste materials is of major importance. Recently the use of microorganisms, such as whiterot fungi, capable to tolerate and / or degrade high pollutant concentrations for their chemical transformation into less hazardous compounds through solid state fermentation (ssf) processes has been seriously investigated. This presentation discusses a novel approach for bioremediation of creosotetreated railways wood sle...
This project is financed by EUSFA, grant No VP1-3.1-ŠMM-10-V-02- 010 (BIOREM)Biochemijos katedraB... more This project is financed by EUSFA, grant No VP1-3.1-ŠMM-10-V-02- 010 (BIOREM)Biochemijos katedraBiologijos katedraBotanikos sodasGamtos mokslų fakultetasKauno technologijos universitetasLietuvos sveikatos mokslų universitetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta
Abstract Wooden sleepers used in railways are impregnated with preservatives with fungicidic and ... more Abstract Wooden sleepers used in railways are impregnated with preservatives with fungicidic and bactericidic properties, which contain a large amount of harmful polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The aim of this research was to reveal the type of fungi in the rhizosphere of plants, which tolerate pollutants and can be involved in bioremediation process of creosote-contaminated used wooden railway sleepers. Tagetes patula grown in the substrate with 12.5% creosote impregnated used wooden sleepers chips additive is characterized by the most intensive root development and the biggest population of active fungi, therefore it is recommended for further investigation. Number of colonies of fungi in the rhizosphere of investigated plants decreased in many cases by increasing the amount of sleepers chips additive in substrate, however it was greater in the substrates with creosote treated wooden sleepers chips additives (12.5, 25 and 37.5% wooden sleepers chips) than in the pure substrate and various substrates with additives of pure Pinus sylvestris chips. This is a pioneering study searching for the local fungi species in Lithuania, which can be further utilized for the bioremediation of PAHs.
Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 2015
Solid digestate (SD) represents an environmental problem due to the continuous increase of biogas... more Solid digestate (SD) represents an environmental problem due to the continuous increase of biogas production. In the present study four white-rot fungal strains were screened for their ability to grow on two different SD samples, obtained from industrial biogas plants, using wheat straw (WS) as a control medium. Results show that i) the feedstock used in the biogas plant influences the time required for the colonization of the corresponding SD and ii) different fungal strains have different capabilities to colonize the same digestate. In particular, Pleurotus ostreatus SMR 684 reached the maximum proliferation on corn silage digestate (CSD) in the shortest time (12 days). Subsequently, P. ostreatus was grown on WS and CSD for 42 days with measurement of lignocellulolytic activities and lignocellulose components (lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose). Enzymatic activities reached a maximum around the 24 th day of incubation. Ligninolytic activities showed similar trends on CSD and on WS, while some differences were observed in the levels of cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic activities. Lignin was reduced by 12% on CSD, this suggesting that the fungal treatment can increase polysaccharides accessibility in view of a further utilization of SD for biorefinery purposes.
Ten commercial composts were evaluated on the basis of chemical, physical and biological characte... more Ten commercial composts were evaluated on the basis of chemical, physical and biological characteristics and compared with a compost produced by a safe matrix in controlled conditions. FT-IR spectra, 13C CP-MAS NMR spectra and molecular weights were also assayed on humic acids extracted from the composts. The results show that the origin of the starting materials affects the quality of the end products especially for their heavy metal content and genotoxic effect. The presence of a high percentage of low molecular weight fractions generally recorded in the humic acids from commercial composts could be due to uncorrected composting process. FT-IR and 13C CP-MAS NMR spectra agree with functional group assignments, characterising the level of humification. The results show that commercial composts can display harmful properties probably due to the origin of the starting material, therefore a regulation about both compost production and characterisation should be suitable.
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