Endophytes from Phragmites australis: their role in phytodepuration

Wastewater treatment is an alarming question and phytodepuration represents an efficient and cost-effective solution. Phragmites australis is generally used for phytodepuration and it excellently removes arsenic, iron and nickel from polluted water. The purification potential of its bacterial endophytic community has never been explored though. G.I.D.A. S.p.a uses P. australis for phytoremediation in a pilot plant, at Calice purifier, which treats the effluent from the Membrane Bioreactor plant. Endophytic bacterial strains were isolated from different P. australis compartments sampled before the activation of the Calice purifier and four additional times during a 18-months period, to analy…