Removal potential of multiple perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) by submerged macrophytes in aquatic environments: Tolerance of Vallisneria natans and PFAA removal in submerged macrophyte-microbiota systems

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials Vol. 424; no. Pt C; p. 127695
• Main Authors: Hua, Zu-lin, Li, Xiao-qing, Zhang, Jian-yun, Gu, Li
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15-02-2022
• Subjects: Environmental Restoration and Remediation; Fluorocarbons; Hydrocharitaceae; Microbiota; perfluoroalkyl acids; removal; tolerance; Vallisneria natans; Water; microbiota; removal; Vallisneria natans; perfluoroalkyl acids; tolerance
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127695

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have emerged as a global concern in aquatic environment remediation due to their abundance, persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. To comprehensively understand the removal potential of multiple PFAAs by submerged macrophytes in aquatic environments, systematic investigations into the tolerance of the typical submerged macrophyte Vallisneria natans to 12 typical PFAAs and the removal capacity to PFAAs in V. natans-microbiota systems were carried out. Results showed that although PFAAs could induce the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde, V. natans was overall resistant to multiple PFAAs with natural concentrations. Catalase is one of the main strategies of V. natans to alleviate PFAA stress. Microbiota can remove 18.10–30.84% of the PFAAs from the water column. 24.35–73.45% of PFAAs were removed from water in V. natans-microbiota systems. The uptake of plant tissues and the bioaccumulation of microbiota were proposed as the main removal processes. The removal rates were significantly correlated with the perfluorinated carbon atoms numbers (p < 0.05). PFAAs and V. natans increased the relative abundance of Betaproteobacteria, Nostocales, Microscillaceae, Sphingobacteriales, SBR1031, Chlamydiales, Phycisphaerae, Caldilineales, Rhodobacterales, and Verrucomicrobiales. The present study suggested that V. natans can be a potential species to remove multiple PFAAs in aquatic environments, and further providing insights into the PFAAs' remediation.
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•V. natans can relatively tolerate multiple PFAAs via the regulation of catalase.•The presence of V. natans significantly enhanced the PFAAs removal from water.•24.35–73.45% of PFAAs were removed via plant uptake and microbial absorption.•Dominant microbiota and biomarkers in water and biofilms were identified.•V. natans was suggested as a potential species to remove multiple PFAAs in water.