Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Bioremediation

Bioremediation

Bioremediation is the use of prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to remove pollutants from the environment. This process has been used to remove harmful toxins in groundwater as a byproduct of agricultural run-off and also to clean up oil spills.

Biofuels

Biofuels

The microbial conversion of organic matter into biofuels holds potential as a renewable energy source. Among biofuel sources, microalgae are recognized as a highly efficient and adaptable feedstock for biodiesel production, owing to their rapid biomass accumulation, elevated lipid productivity, and capacity to proliferate in diverse aquatic systems, including freshwater, marine, and wastewater habitats. Unlike terrestrial crops, microalgae do not compete for land and can achieve significantly...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Syntactic Networks of Interlanguage Across L2 Modalities and Proficiency Levels.

Frontiers in psychology·2021

Same author

The inhibition of WIP1 phosphatase accelerates the depletion of primordial follicles.

Reproductive biomedicine online·2021

Same author

Multicolor polymeric carbon dots: synthesis, separation and polyamide-supported molecular fluorescence.

Chemical science·2021

Same author

Whether sutures reduce the graft laceration caused by interference screw in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction? A biomechanical study in vitro.

BMC musculoskeletal disorders·2021

Same author

A "Failed" Assay Development for the Discovery of Rescuing Small Molecules from the Radiation Damage.

SLAS discovery : advancing life sciences R & D·2021

Same author

Early response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy helps decrease recurrence rate of cervical cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Annals of palliative medicine·2021

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

A CO2 Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO2 Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function

A CO₂ Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO₂ Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function

Published on: November 21, 2015

Toluene biofiltration enhanced by ryegrass.

Zhongjun Xu¹, Meng Wu, Yanyun He

¹Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China. xuzj@mail.buct.edu.cn

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

|March 5, 2013

Summary

Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) significantly enhances toluene biodegradation in biofilters. Planted biofilters showed higher microbial activity and toluene removal capacity compared to unplanted systems, improving air purification.

More Related Videos

Optimized Method for Cultivation and Microbial Bioaugmentation of Typha latifolia (Cattail)

Optimized Method for Cultivation and Microbial Bioaugmentation of Typha latifolia (Cattail)

Published on: July 25, 2025

Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff

Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff

Published on: May 15, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 13, 2026

A CO2 Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO2 Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function

A CO₂ Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO₂ Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function

Published on: November 21, 2015

Optimized Method for Cultivation and Microbial Bioaugmentation of Typha latifolia (Cattail)

Optimized Method for Cultivation and Microbial Bioaugmentation of Typha latifolia (Cattail)

Published on: July 25, 2025

Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff

Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff

Published on: May 15, 2017

Area of Science:

Environmental microbiology
Bioremediation technologies

Background:

Toluene is a common volatile organic compound (VOC) pollutant.
Biofiltration is an effective method for removing VOCs from air.
The role of plants in enhancing microbial degradation of pollutants in biofilters requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare the efficacy of toluene biofiltration using microorganisms alone versus a combination of ryegrass and microorganisms.
To assess the impact of ryegrass on microbial activity and toluene removal capacity in biofilters.

Main Methods:

Two types of biofilters were tested: one with microorganisms only (unplanted) and another with ryegrass and microorganisms (planted).
The biofilters were exposed to varying inlet toluene concentrations.
Microbial activity and toluene removal efficiency were measured.

Main Results:

Complete toluene removal was achieved in both unplanted and planted biofilters at low inlet concentrations (< 0.2 g m⁻³).
The planted biofilter demonstrated significantly higher toluene removal capacity than the unplanted biofilter at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 g m⁻³.
Microbial activity was significantly increased in the planted biofilter (p < 0.01) compared to the unplanted biofilter.

Conclusions:

Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) significantly enhances toluene biodegradation in biofilters.
The presence of ryegrass leads to a significant increase in microbial activity, thereby improving the biofilter's capacity to remove toluene.
Planted biofilters represent a more effective bioremediation strategy for toluene pollution.