Biodegradation of pyrene and catabolic genes in contaminated soils cultivated with Lolium multiflorum L

Background, aim, and scope  

In the soil environment, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals (HMs) are of great environmental and human health concerns due to their widespread occurrence, persistence, and carcinogenic properties. Bioremediation of contaminated soil is a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and publicly acceptable approach to address the removal of environmental contaminants. However, bioremediation of contaminants depends on plant–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere. The microorganisms that can mineralize various PAHs have PAH dioxygenase genes like nahAc, phnAc, and pdo1. To understand the fate of pyrene in rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric soils in the presence or absence of Pb, pyrene biodegradation, bacterial community structure, and dioxygenase genes were investigated in a pot experiment.