Bioturbation is the soil/sediment reworking by animals. It has a definite role in ecosystem engineering too by modifying and modulating different physicochemibal transformations and biological/microbiological interactions. Toxicants' transfers may be affected and ecotoxic effects may be modified. Can bioturbation be manipulated in reducing toxic effects of some toxicants and how?
That is a great question. I will follow to see if you get some useful answers. On thinking about bioturbation by animals, also keep in mind that plants take up toxins and depositing them at the surface in litter.
Dear Biswas,
The bioturbation can be used to decrease the presence of a contaminant. Often, the key words are : environmental remediation, rehabilitation, restoration, etc.
When microbes and soil organisms decrease the amount of a contaminant, it can be due to biofiltration, biosparging, biostimulation, bioventillation, composting, etc.
When plants decrease the amount of a contaminant, it can be due to phytoextraction, phytotransformation, phytostabilisation, phytodegradation, rhizodegradation, rhizofiltration, phytovolatilisation, etc.
Sincerely,
Chantal Beauchamp
Dear Prof. Beauchamp & friends,
You have talked about bioremediation for cleaning up toxicants by different methods like biofiltration, biosparging, biostimulation, bioventing, composting, etc and dif methods of phytoremediation. Can you provide concrete information and research papers reflecting bioturbation induced enhanced microbial remediation. But the focus of my query has been bioturbation of soil and sediment. definitely different bioturbative mechanism like, burrowing, resuspension, bioirrigation/respiratory irrigation, filter feeding, benthic/bottom grazing, secretions, etc exert considerable influence in altering the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of soil or sediment habitat. Such bioturbation mechanisms had been dealt in my paper "Bioturbation potential of chironomid larvae for sediment-water ................" published in Ecological Engineering (Elsevier) 35(2008):1444-1453. These mechansims might have significant impact on bioremediatin of toxicants mediated by microorganisms or by some other means and mechanisms. I am looking forward to some insightful intellectual and scientific exchange of ideas and relevant papers.
Regards
Jayanta
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