Plant-assisted bioremediation of a historically PCB and heavy metal-contaminated area in Southern Italy

[Display omitted] •The poplar hybrid genotype Monviso (P. generosa×P. nigra) promoted PCB degradation.•Microbial dehydrogenase activity was stimulated in the Monviso clone rhizosphere.•The Monviso clone promoted heavy metal phyto-stabilisation.•The soil quality of the contaminated plots improved. A plant-assisted bioremediation strategy was applied in an area located in Southern Italy, close to the city of Taranto, historically contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals. A specific poplar clone (Monviso) was selected for its ability to promote organic pollutant degradation in the rhizosphere, as demonstrated elsewhere. Chemical and microbiological analyses were performed at the time of poplar planting in selected plots at different distances from the trunk (0.25–1m) and at different soil depths (0–20 and 20–40cm), at day 420. A significant decrease in PCB congeners and a reduction in all heavy metals was observed where the poplar trees were present. No evidence of PCB and heavy metal reduction was observed in the non poplar-vegetated soil. Microbial analyses (dehydrogenase activity, cell viability, microbial abundance) of the autochthonous microbial community showed an improvement in soil quality. In particular, microbial activity generally increased in the poplar-rhizosphere and a positive effect was observed in some cases at up to 1m distance from the trunk and up to 40cm depth. The Monviso clone was effective in promoting both a general decrease in contaminant occurrence and an increase in microbial activity in the chronically polluted area a little more than one year after planting.