Overview
This greenhouse study tested whether inoculation with arsenic-resistant, plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria improves arsenic phytoextraction by the fern Pteris vittata. It is upstream mechanism and microbiome evidence on arsenic soil-to-plant transfer and bioremediation; it reports no retail food occurrence and is context-only for Heavy Metal Index purposes.
Key numbers
- P. vittata cultivated 4 months in a contaminated substrate of arsenopyrite cinders plus mature compost, under four conditions (no inoculum; bacterial mix A; bacterial mix B; all five strains, AB).
- Growth-promoting rhizobacteria increased plant biomass by up to 45%.
- Arsenic removal efficiency rose from 13% (no bacteria) to 35% with the mixed inoculum.
- Introduced strains persisted in soil and significantly altered the bacterial community structure.
Methods (brief)
Greenhouse pot trial with selected siderophore-producing, arsenate-reducing, IAA-producing rhizobacterial strains (Pseudomonas, Delftia, Bacillus, Variovorax, Pseudoxanthomonas); As removal and biomass measured, strain persistence confirmed by molecular analysis.
Implications
Certification: Contributes nothing to HMT&C threshold pools. Mechanism/microbiome context on arsenic phytoextraction; route as exposure/mechanism context to Soil-to-plant transfer of heavy metals, Arsenic, Total, and Agronomic mitigation.
Courses: Quantifies the microbial-inoculation lever for arsenic phytoextraction (13% → 35% removal).
App: No contamination_profile blocks are touched.
Microbiome: WikiBiome federation signpost — plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria enhancing metal phytoextraction.
Related evidence
Update history
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