Information from the abstract
Paclobutrazol (PBZ) is a triazole fungicide that is widely used as a plant growth regulator in agriculture. Its extensive use has led to its accumulation in aquatic environments leading to ecological and environmental risks. In this study, we used carbonized wood char as upcycled waste-derived biochar and immobilized multifunctional degrading microorganisms to remediate PBZ-contaminated water. The degrading microorganisms ( Bacillus sp. GRSW2-B1, Bacillus sp. AVPP64, and Candida sp. AVGB4) and biochar show potential for sustainable remediation, with individual and co-cultures successfully removing 30–53% of PBZ from contaminated water. During the PBZ biodegradation, putative transformation intermediates, including 4-chlorobenzoate and 1H-1,2,4-triazole, were tentatively proposed. The proposed PBZ biodegradation pathway involved two routes, including cleavage of the triazole ring and/or chlorophenyl ring. Among the treatment systems applied (biochar, free cells, and biochar-immobilized cells), the immobilized cell systems with the consortium (up to 54%) exhibited the highest PBZ removal. An additional enhanced biochar-immobilized cell loading experiment achieved up to 90% PBZ removal. The immobilized cell characterization revealed extracellular material associated with microbial attachment on the biochar, which likely improved microbial stability and PBZ treatment performance. Improved PBZ removal efficiencies were also observed in PBZ-contaminated natural water, likely due to the presence of dissolved organic matter. Phytotoxicity assays showed reduced observed phytotoxicity, as indicated by increased germination indices (up to 66%) and enhanced plant growth. These findings are the first to demonstrate the potential and sustainable approach of the biochar-immobilized multifunctional microbial consortium for PBZ removal and reduction of phytotoxicity in contaminated aquatic environments.
Why this record is monitored
This record has an Impact Signal of 72/100 based on recency, source, collaboration, and bibliographic signals. It prioritizes monitoring and is not a judgment of research quality.
Related topics: Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal · Environmental remediation with nanomaterials · Microbial bioremediation and biosurfactants
Thai researcher and institutional participation
Naphat Ritphaew · Supitchaya Jenjaiwit · Alisa S. Vangnai · Thunyalux Ratpukdi · Sumana Siripattanakul‐Ratpukdi · Khon Kaen University · Chulalongkorn University
Data limitations
This page is a bibliographic record based on abstract-level information, not a full analysis or quality assessment. Verify the DOI and original article before citation.