Effect of iron-loaded sludge biochar amendments on phytoremediation potential of Cr-contaminated soils by Leersia hexandra swartz

Abstract

In this study, the effect of iron-loaded sludge biochar (ISBC) with different amendment dosages (mass ratio of biochar to soil equal to 0, 0.01, 0.025 and 0.05) on the phytoremediation potential of Leersia hexandra swartz (L. hexandra) to Cr-contaminated soil was investigated. With increasing ISBC dosage from 0 to 0.05, plant height, aerial tissue biomass and root biomass increased from 15.70 cm, 0.152 g pot−1 and 0.058 g pot−1 to 24.33 cm, 0.304 g pot−1 and 0.125 g pot−1, respectively. Simultaneously, the Cr contents in aerial tissues and roots increased from 1039.68 mg kg−1 to 2427.87 mg kg−1 to 1526.57 mg kg−1 and 3242.62 mg kg−1, respectively. Thus, the corresponding bioenrichment factor (BCF), bioaccumulation factor (BAF), total phytoextraction (TPE) and translocation factor (TF) values were also increased from 10.52, 6.20, 0.158 mg pot−1 (aerial tissue)/0.140 mg pot−1 (roots) and 0.428 to 15.15, 9.42, 0.464 mg pot−1 (aerial tissue)/0.405 mg pot−1 (roots) and 0.471, respectively. The significant positive effect of ISBC amendment was primarily attributed to the following three aspects: 1) the root resistance index (RRI), tolerance index (TI) and growth toxicity index (GTI) of L. hexandra to Cr were increased from 100%, 100% and 0%–216.88%, 155.02% and 42.18%, respectively; 2) the bio-available Cr content in the soil was decreased from 1.89 mg L−1 to 1.48 mg L−1, while the corresponding TU (toxicity units) value was declined from 0.303 to 0.217; 3) the activities of urease, sucrase and alkaline phosphatase in soil were increased from 0.186 mg g−1, 1.40 mg g−1 and 0.156 mg g−1 to 0.242 mg g−1, 1.86 mg g−1 and 0.287 mg g−1, respectively. In summary, ISBC amendment was able to significantly improve the phytoremediation of Cr-contaminated soils by L. hexandra.