ABSTRACT
The effluent discharge from mining industries and coal fired power plants have resulted in large-scale Se (selenium) deposition in marine sediments. Microbial reduction of soluble selenium oxyanions to insoluble and non-reactive elemental selenium is the best available cost effective and eco-friendly option. Anthropogenic activities such as mining and refinery industries can lead to such contaminated soil-water environments containing both Se and titanium. In order to avoid further contamination of these agricultural soils via rivulets containing Serich sediments, storage and sedimentation of the irrigation water may be practiced prior to irrigation on the agricultural fields. Extraction of selenium from seleniferous soil by soil washing and its accumulation in anaerobic granular sludge and aquatic plants helps easier recovery of Se from soil. In situ microcosms were set up in order to evaluate the effect of the organic amendment and bioaugmentation on reduction of Se in the soil.
