ArticleScientific reports2026
Enzyme-mediated synergistic bioremediation of PAH and heavy metal co-contaminated soil using nocardia species and Helianthus annuus.
Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent soil contaminants posing risks to human health, environmental stability, and agricultural productivity via oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and reduced crop yields. This study evaluated the bioremediation potential of native Iranian Nocardia species combined with sunflower (Helianthus annuus) remediation for restoring PAHs and heavy metal-co-contaminated soils. Thirty-six soil samples from Fars Province, Iran, were analyzed to isolate bioremediating Nocardia using turbidometric, chromatographic, biochemical, molecular, and enzymatic assays. Greenhouse experiments employed spiked soils (PAHs: 100-200 mg/kg; heavy metals: As, Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr; 3-400 mg/kg) across low, medium, and high levels, with five treatments (control, phytoremediation(P), bioremediation(B), combined phytoremediation and bioremediation (MB), sterile control) assessed over 90 days for soil properties, contaminants, plant growth, translocation (TF)/bioaccumulation factors (BAF). Thirteen Nocardia isolates (36.11%) were identified belonging to eight species. N. farcinica (85%), N. otitidiscaviarum (82%), and N. cyriacigeorgica (80%) led in PAH degradation; N. wallacei (75%), N. kruczakiae (70%), and N. cyriacigeorgica (65%) excelled in heavy metal removal. This results showed that the first report of identification of N. wallacei and N. veterana as PAHs degrading and heavy metals removal agents. A consortium of these five species in the MB treatment achieved 84.5-92.3% PAH degradation and 69.7-78.9% heavy metal removal, significantly outperforming B (76.8-85.6%, 63.4-72.5%), P (55.2-65.4%, 48.6-58.7%), and controls (p < 0.001). MB enhanced soil fertility (OC: 1.8%, TN: 42 mg/kg), microbial activity, and reduced metal translocation (TF/BAF: 0.20-0.60). In conclusion integrated Nocardia bioremediation and sunflower phytoremediation offers a promising sustainable strategy for co-contaminated soils, with potential for field-scale application in industrial and agricultural contexts following further validation.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.