Fe-Based Nanomaterials and Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria Synergistically Degrade Polychlorinated Biphenyls by Producing Extracellular Reactive Oxygen Species.

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) produce extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) to protect plants from external stresses. Fe-based nanomaterials can potentially interact with PGPR and synergistically degrade organic pollutants, yet they have received no study. Here, we studied how the interaction between a typical PGPR ( Pseudomonas chlororaphis , JD37) and Fe-based nanomaterials facilitated the degradation of 2,4,4'-trichlorobiphenyl (PCB28), by comparing the zerovalent iron of 20 nm (nZVI 20 ), 100 nm (nZVI 100 ), and 5 μm; iron oxide nanomaterials (α-Fe 2 O 3 , γ-Fe 2 O 3 , and Fe 3 O 4 ) of ca. 20 nm; and ferrous and ferric salts. Although all Fe materials (0.1 g L -1 ) alone could not degrade aqueous PCB28 (0.1 mg L -1 ) under dark or aerobic conditions, nZVI 20 , nZVI 100 , α-Fe 2 O 3 , and Fe 2+ promoted PCB28 degradation by JD37, with the half-life of PCB28 shortened from 16.5 h by JD37 alone to 8.1 h with nZVI 100 cotreatment. Mechanistically, the nanomaterials stimulated JD37 to secrete phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and accelerated the NADH/NAD + conversion, promoting O 2 *- generation; JD37 increased Fe(II) dissolution from the nanomaterials, facilitating *OH generation; and the ROS gradually degraded PCB28 into benzoic acid through dihydroxy substitution, oxidation to quinone, and Michael addition. These findings provide a new strategy of nanoenabled biodegradation of organic pollutants by applying Fe-based nanomaterials and PGPR.