Applications of microbe-plant-

microbe plant
chemistry Approach to address Bio
energy & Bi
Bio R
Remediation
di i needsd

Dr. Alok Adholeya1 & Dr. R. K. Sharma2

1The Energy and Resources institute
institute, Darbari Seth Block
Block, IHC
IHC,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003

2 Green Chemistry Network Centre

Department of chemistry
University of Delhi, New Delhi 110007
 Green chemistry: 12 principles

1. Prevent waste,
2. Design
g safer chemicals and product
p
3. Design less hazardous chemical syntheses
4. Use renewable feed stocks
5
5. Use catalysts,
catalysts not stoichiometric reagents
6. Avoid chemical derivatives
7. Maximize atom economy
8. Use safer solvents and reaction conditions
9. Increase energy efficiency
10. Design
g chemicals and products
p to degrade
g after use
11. Analyze in real time to prevent pollution
12. Minimize the potential for accidents

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Bioremediation: Microbes-Plant-Chemistry interaction

Plant
Plant's exudates (e.g. Phyto-chelators)

Toxic chemicals
in substrate
IInternal
t l
modification / Microbial metabolites
storage (e.g. organic acid)
Chemical
transformation/
Microbes breakdown

Altered
chemicals
(less toxic)

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 Green Chemistry Bioremediation

Bio-mining

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 Bio-mining of Cr

The Challenge
In leather industry, tanning is the main process that protects leather
against certain environmental effects and about 90% of tanneries in
the world use chromium salts as tannage materials. Only 60% of the
total Cr takes part in the reaction and the rest of it which remains in
the tanning effluent is subsequently sent to a tannery waste water
management plant where the Cr salts end up in the sludge. Cr is
non-biodegradable and tends to cause serious diseases and
disorder to animals and human beings.

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 Bio-mining of Cr
The Approach
• Isolation of microbes and p
plants inhabiting
g the site laden by
y tannery
y waste
and screening of the same based on targeted functional properties.

• Cultivation of plants and microorganisms based on their survivability and Cr

accumulation capability on tannery waste.

• Development of a metal specific resin (Cr) through extensive research on ion

specific resin, which could be able to extract Cr from processed biomass.

• Use of a green chemistry approach (less use of chemicals with minimal waste
generation) and low energy input to give shape to the entire activities.

• Maximum recovery of Cr (≥ 99%)

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 The Achievement
Cr accumulator % of Cr accumulation Cr accumulator p
plant / % of Cr extraction from
bacteria / fungi fungi biomass
Aloe Vera (whole plant) 96.40
T1 0.22 – 3.11
T2 0.30 – 4.64 Vetiver (whole plant) 93.64

T3 3.91 – 8.21 Cauliflower (root) 98.50

T4 3.37 – 5.57
Tobacco (root) 97.30
T5 1.66 – 5.57
S1 44.3%
T6 2.74 – 4.97
S2 79.8%
T7 2.37 – 6.07
T8 2 71 – 4.44
2.71 4 44 S3 74 8%
74.8%

T9 6.43 – 19.5 R1A 76.5%

F1 6.00
R1A1 59.5%
F2 29 99
29.99
F3 5.44 S1-S3, R1A, R1A1 ~ Fungal strains

F4 6.90
F5 14 30
14.30
T1-T9 ~ Bacterial strains; F1-F5~ Fungal strains
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 S
Some other
th examplesl off TERI’s
TERI’
technologies
g based on plant-
plant
p -
microbe--chemistry interactions
microbe

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 Reclamation of Chlor-alkali sludge

The hurdle

The chemical wastes formed out of alkali and chloride rich sediments from

industrial discharge was posing a health hazard for the residents of the

coastal areas nearby. The highly saline substrate made germination of seeds

difficult and waste area contaminated the low water table

table. The site had

extremely high pH (11.7) and electrical conductivity (74.4 mS/cm2) as

compared
d tto the
th near neutral
t l pH
H (7
(7.0)
0) and
d electrical
l t i l conductivity
d ti it ((near 1

mS/cm2) of normal soil.

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 Reclamation of Chlor-alkali sludge
The way out
• Isolation and mass multiplication of microbes inhabiting the chlor-alkali
sludge laden sites.
• Plantation of partially tolerant plant species on a specially designed
landscape inoculating it with mycorrhiza to overcome the stressful
substrate.
• Mycorrhizal biofertilizers provide tolerance and strength to the plants to
withstand the adverse conditions by enhancing uptake of nitrogen and
phosphorous.
• U off sweett water
Use t first,
fi t followed
f ll d by
b a combination
bi ti off sweett water
t and
d sea
water, and then only sea water : Typical site specific water management

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 Reclamation of Chlor-alkali sludge

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The Achievement
Initial Initial
pH EC (mS/cm) 100
14
12 80
10
Vetiver Desi babool Vetiver 60 Desi babool
8
6 40
4
2 20
0 0
Kharagrass Rambabool Kharagrass Rambabool

Paras pipal Casurina

Paras pp
pipal Casurina

OC(%) Initial P(mg/kg)

N (%) 400
Initial K (mg/kg)
6 300
Vetiver Desi babool
Vetiver 4 Desi babool 200

2 100

0
0
Kharagrass Rambabool Kharagrass Rambabool

Paras pipal Casurina

Paras pipal Casurina

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 Reclamation of fly ash dykes

The hurdle

Combustion of coal produces fine solid particles of ash, dust and soot

containing toxic elements like lead,

lead arsenic
arsenic, cadmium
cadmium, cobalt
cobalt, silica
silica,

mercury, etc. all of which are hazardous to health. Fly ash is dumped as

slurry in ash dykes, from which the toxic metals seep into the ground,

severely contaminating the groundwater

groundwater. Also
Also, these toxic elements lower

the soil fertility, harm the aquatic plants and disturb the food chain.

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 Reclamation of fly ash dykes

The way out

• Identification of certain strains of naturally occurring mycorrhizal

fungi that provide nutritional support and high level of stress

tolerance to the plants.

• Application of of those mycorrhizal fungi to plants on fly ash dumps

additional doses of organic and Mycorrhizal fertilizers.

• Conversion of barren land to a lush green area.

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 Reclamation of fly ash dykes

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 Jatropha on fly ash dykes

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 The achievement
C
Cu Pb Si Al
Root Shoot Root Shoot Root Shoot Root Shoot

Khandwa 11.1 6.7 24.1 32.2 506.3 506.1 137.0 424.0

Shahdol 7.5 5.9 20.9 29.1 371.4 334.0 230.0 394.2

Jagdalpur 7.1 6.9 24.3 28.9 535.5 449.6 156.4 453.3

Khargone 55
5.5 59
5.9 19 7
19.7 29 6
29.6 283 5
283.5 262 2
262.2 206 6
206.6 504 0
504.0

Udaipur 8.8 5.0 21.0 28.7 572.2 354.2 236.7 247.2

Kanchivaram 5.4 8.5 23.5 34.9 410.7 290.5 219.7 438.8

Metal conc. are in ppm

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 How mycorrhiza function in metal enriched substrate
like fly ash (mycorrhizoremediation)

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 Reclamation of hyper-saline desert land
The Hurdle
The hyper-saline
yp area of Dukhan, located in the western p
part of
Qatar has extremely adverse land and water conditions prior to
farming. The soil salinity level is very high and accumulation of white
salts (soluble chloride and sulfates of Ca, Mg, Na and K) on soil
surface (white encrustation) is a common phenomena. Moreover,
the climate is hot subtropical characterized by hot humid summers

and semi short winters with scant and infrequent rainfalls.

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 Reclamation of hyper-saline desert land

The way out

• In-situ raising of nursery

• Application of mycorrhiza with selected plant species

• Adaptation of different plantation model including off season

plantation.
plantation

• Need based application of organic manure and water (efficient

utilization of water)

• Composting and recycling of all organic residues at site.

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 Reclamation of hyper-saline desert land

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 Reclamation of hyper-saline desert land

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Reclamation of distillery effluent loaded wasteland
The hurdle
The problem posed by distillery effluents runs, literally, pretty deep-run-off
effluents percolate into surrounding fields, thereby polluting soil and
damaging soil structure. The task at hand is twofold: to dispose of effluents
in an environment
environment-friendly
friendly manner
manner, and to reclaim the effluent
effluent-loaded
loaded sites
that have turned into wastelands. Moreover, the dumping site that TERI had
to reclaim had suffered 6 years matter of regular loading of distillery
effluents rich in organic and acute salinity (electrical conductivity as high as
34.4 mS/cm2 as against the normal value of less than 1). Besides these
impurities the waste was also highly alkalinie (pH 9
impurities, 9. 4 vis-à-vis the neutral
pH of 7). Over time, the site was completely saturated and could not take
any more effluents.

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Reclamation of distillery effluent loaded wasteland

The way out

• M difi ti off the
Modification th effluent
ffl t laden
l d llandscape
d tto a specially
i ll ddesigned
i d

disposal site with alternate furrow and ridges.

• Plantation of HRTS capable plants with mycorrhiza on raised beds

(ridges).

• Disposal of brewery effluent into furrow.

• p p
Evapo-transpiration of effluent and appearance
pp of g
green cover over

the effluent loaded soil.

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Reclamation of distillery effluent loaded wasteland

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 Thank you
y

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