Combined remediation effects of biochar and organic fertilizer on immobilization and dissipation of neonicotinoids in soils.

Abstract

Neonicotinoid (NEO) pesticides have become a potential risk to ecological safety and human health after application. The combined use of biochar and organic fertilizer (OF) is a promising approach to reduce pesticide adverse effects and improve soil fertility in agricultural soils. However, the combined remediation effects of biochar and OF on immobilization and dissipation of NEOs in soils have not previously been systematically investigated. In this study, biochars derived from peanut shell prepared at low/high pyrolysis temperatures (PS400 and PS900) were combined with composted chicken manure (CCM) as an example for OF to remediate contaminated soils toward six typical NEOs, nitenpyram (NIT), thiamethoxam (THIA), clothianidin (CLO), imidacloprid (IMI), acetamiprid (ACE), thiacloprid (THI). Results shown that both biochars and CCM were effective in improving soil sorption capacity and immobilization efficiency. The Freundlich affinity parameters (Kf) of NEOs in soils increased 7.2-12.0 times after the combined remediation of biochar and CCM, and the Kf of six NEOs had negative correlation with their lipophilicity (p<0.05), which followed by THI>ACE ≈ IMI>CLO>THIA>NIT. Meanwhile, NEOs-abiotic degradation was accelerated by biochar, CCM and their combined addition by adjusting soil pH and stimulating hydrolysis action. Biotic degradation was dominant in NEOs dissipation processes in amended soils, and the contribution ratios of biotic degradation (CRbio) were in the range of 25.4-99.0%. The combined use of biochar and CCM selectively stimulated the relative abundance of NEOs-degraders, which simplified abiotic degradation of -NO2-containing NEOs (viz., NIT, THIA, CLO, and IMI), but inhibited -C≡N-containing NEOs (viz., ACE and THI). The combined remediation provided a strategy for immobilizing NEOs and facilitating dissipation of -NO2-containing NEOs in soils. The results in this study provide valuable information for policymakers and decision-makers to choose appropriate soil remediation approaches with respect to the NEO types.