https://hdl.handle.net/10259/9266 2026-04-17T11:58:34Z 2026-04-17T11:58:34Z Khan, Aqib Hassan Ali Soto Cañas, Alberto Rad Moradillo, Juan Carlos Curiel Alegre, Sandra Rumbo Lorenzo, Carlos Velasco Arroyo, Blanca De Wilde, Herwig Pérez de Mora, Alfredo Martel Martín, Sonia Barros García, Rocío https://hdl.handle.net/10259/9506 2024-07-27T00:05:29Z 2024-06-19T00:00:00Z

Macrophyte assisted phytoremediation and toxicological profiling of metal(loid)s polluted water is influenced by hydraulic retention time Khan, Aqib Hassan Ali; Soto Cañas, Alberto; Rad Moradillo, Juan Carlos; Curiel Alegre, Sandra; Rumbo Lorenzo, Carlos; Velasco Arroyo, Blanca; De Wilde, Herwig; Pérez de Mora, Alfredo; Martel Martín, Sonia; Barros García, Rocío The present study reports findings related to the treatment of polluted groundwater using macrophyte-assisted phytoremediation. The potential of three macrophyte species (Phragmites australis, Scirpus holoschoenus, and Typha angustifolia) to tolerate exposure to multi-metal(loid) polluted groundwater was first evaluated in mesocosms for 7- and 14-day batch testing. In the 7-day batch test, the polluted water was completely replaced and renewed after 7 days, while for 14 days exposure, the same polluted water, added in the first week, was maintained. The initial biochemical screening results of macrophytes indicated that the selected plants were more tolerant to the provided conditions with 14 days of exposure. Based on these findings, the plants were exposed to HRT regimes of 15 and 30 days. The results showed that P. australis and S. holoschoenus performed better than T. angustifolia, in terms of metal(loid) accumulation and removal, biomass production, and toxicity reduction. In addition, the translocation and compartmentalization of metal(loid)s were dose-dependent. At the 30-day loading rate (higher HRT), below-ground phytostabilization was greater than phytoaccumulation, whereas at the 15-day loading rate (lower HRT), below- and above-ground phytoaccumulation was the dominant metal(loid) removal mechanism. However, higher levels of toxicity were noted in the water at the 15-day loading rate. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for macrophyte-assisted phytoremediation of polluted (ground)water streams that can help to improve the design and implementation of phytoremediation systems.

2024-06-19T00:00:00Z Curiel Alegre, Sandra Khan, Aqib Hassan Ali Rad Moradillo, Juan Carlos Velasco Arroyo, Blanca Rumbo Lorenzo, Carlos Rivilla, Rafael Durán, David Redondo-Nieto, Miguel Borràs, Eduard Molognoni, Daniele Martín-Castellote, Soledad Juez, Blanca Barros García, Rocío https://hdl.handle.net/10259/9505 2024-07-27T00:05:35Z 2024-03-22T00:00:00Z

Bioaugmentation and vermicompost facilitated the hydrocarbon bioremediation: scaling up from lab to field for petroleum-contaminated soils Curiel Alegre, Sandra; Khan, Aqib Hassan Ali; Rad Moradillo, Juan Carlos; Velasco Arroyo, Blanca; Rumbo Lorenzo, Carlos; Rivilla, Rafael; Durán, David; Redondo-Nieto, Miguel; Borràs, Eduard; Molognoni, Daniele; Martín-Castellote, Soledad; Juez, Blanca; Barros García, Rocío The biodegradation of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) in soil is very challenging due to the complex recalcitrant nature of hydrocarbon, hydrophobicity, indigenous microbial adaptation and competition, and harsh environmental conditions. This work further confirmed that limited natural attenuation of petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) (15% removal) necessitates efficient bioremediation strategies. Hence, a scaling-up experiment for testing and optimizing the use of biopiles for bioremediation of TPH polluted soils was conducted with three 500-kg pilots of polluted soil, and respective treatments were implemented: including control soil (CT), bioaugmentation and vermicompost treatment (BAVC), and a combined application of BAVC along with bioelectrochemical snorkels (BESBAVC), all maintained at 40% field capacity. This study identified that at pilot scale level, a successful application of BAVC treatment can achieve 90.3% TPH removal after 90 days. BAVC’s effectiveness stemmed from synergistic mechanisms. Introduced microbial consortia were capable of TPH degradation, while vermicompost provided essential nutrients, enhanced aeration, and, potentially, acted as a biosorbent. Hence, it can be concluded that the combined application of BAVC significantly enhances TPH removal compared to natural attenuation. While the combined application of a bioelectrochemical snorkel (BES) with BAVC also showed a significant TPH removal, it did not differ statistically from the individual application of BAVC, under applied conditions. Further research is needed to optimize BES integration with BAVC for broader applicability. This study demonstrates BAVC as a scalable and mechanistically sound approach for TPH bioremediation in soil.

2024-03-22T00:00:00Z Curiel Alegre, Sandra Fuente Vivas, Dalia de la Khan, Aqib Hassan Ali García Tojal, Javier Velasco Arroyo, Blanca Rumbo Lorenzo, Carlos Soja, Gerhard Rad Moradillo, Juan Carlos Barros García, Rocío https://hdl.handle.net/10259/9504 2024-07-27T00:05:24Z 2024-07-01T00:00:00Z

Unveiling the capacity of bioaugmentation application, in comparison with biochar and rhamnolipid for TPHs degradation in aged hydrocarbons polluted soil Curiel Alegre, Sandra; Fuente Vivas, Dalia de la; Khan, Aqib Hassan Ali; García Tojal, Javier; Velasco Arroyo, Blanca; Rumbo Lorenzo, Carlos; Soja, Gerhard; Rad Moradillo, Juan Carlos; Barros García, Rocío Persistent, aged hydrocarbons in soil hinder remediation, posing a significant environmental threat. While bioremediation offers an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach, its efficacy for complex contaminants relies on enhancing pollutant bioavailability. This study explores the potential of immobilized bacterial consortia combined with biochar and rhamnolipids to accelerate bioremediation of aged total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH)-contaminated soil. Previous research indicates that biochar and biosurfactants can increase bioremediation rates, while mixed consortia offer sequential degradation and higher hydrocarbon mineralization. The present investigation aimed to assess whether combining these strategies could further enhance degradation in aged, complex soil matrices. The bioaugmentation (BA) with bacterial consortium increased the TPHs degradation in aged soil (over 20% compared to natural attenuation - NA). However, co-application of BA with biochar and rhamnolipid higher did not show a statistically prominent synergistic effect. While biochar application facilitated the maintenance of hydrocarbon degrading bacterial consortium in soil, the present study did not identify a direct influence in TPHs degradation. The biochar application in contaminated soil contributed to TPHs adsorption. Rhamnolipid alone slightly increased the TPHs biodegradation with NA, while the combined bioaugmentation treatment with rhamnolipid and biochar increased the degradation between 27.5 and 29.8%. These findings encourage further exploration of combining bioaugmentation with amendment, like biochar and rhamnolipid, for remediating diverse environmental matrices contaminated with complex and aged hydrocarbons.

2024-07-01T00:00:00Z Aguilar Cuesta, Nuria Rozas Azcona, Sara Escamilla Roa, Elisabeth Rumbo Lorenzo, Carlos Martel Martín, Sonia Barros García, Rocío Marcos Villa, Pedro A. Bol Arreba, Alfredo Aparicio Martínez, Santiago https://hdl.handle.net/10259/9503 2024-07-27T00:05:19Z 2024-03-01T00:00:00Z

Theoretical multiscale study on the properties, aqueous solution behavior and biological impact of zinc oxide nanoparticles Aguilar Cuesta, Nuria; Rozas Azcona, Sara; Escamilla Roa, Elisabeth; Rumbo Lorenzo, Carlos; Martel Martín, Sonia; Barros García, Rocío; Marcos Villa, Pedro A.; Bol Arreba, Alfredo; Aparicio Martínez, Santiago The aim of this theoretical study is to describe the relationship between the structure and the physicochemical properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and Mn doped ZnO NPs to assess their toxicological impact. In order to do so, a multiscale modelling approach is applied. Different nanoparticles, as well as the mechanism(s) of nanoparticle aggregation and growing, are characterized in terms of size and shape considering electronic, surface, structural and topological properties via quantum mechanics simulations. To evaluate the toxicology impact of ZnO NPs in human health safety and their possible environmental impact, classical molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to study the interaction between the nanomaterials and biological target systems: a set of selected human proteins and model plasma membranes. Likewise, the simulation of nanoparticles dispersion in aqueous media along with water adsorption on their surfaces was conducted. The mayor findings may be summarized as: (i) the ZnO NPs from 12 to 96 (ZnO) units are characterized and their interaction energies, HOMO-LUMO gaps, superficial areas and volumes are reported; (ii) the (ZnO)12 NP and Zn11MnO12 NP are further characterized via their topological properties, vibrational spectra, PDOS and non-covalent interactions; (iii) the doping with Mn atoms is favourable. The interaction energies, HOMO-LUMO orbitals and gaps, PDOS, atomic charges, superficial areas and volumes are reported for NPs doped with up to 5 Mn atoms; (iv) high water affinity for ZnO NPs is reported with both quantum and classical calculations, v) (ZnO)12 NPs do not penetrate the cell membrane and (vi) the affinity energy of both ZnO and Mn doped NPs for human proteins is moderate. The reported results provide in-depth whole-chain studies of zinc oxide nanoparticles, which have been successfully applied for different technologies.

2024-03-01T00:00:00Z