Effects of Sepiolite and Biochar on Enzyme Activity of Soil Contaminated by Cd and Atrazine.

Abstract

The effects of sepiolite and biochar on the enzymatic activities of the soil in Cd- and atrazine-contaminated soils were studied. During the growth of pakchoi, the activities of acid phosphatase, sucrase, acid protease, and cellulase decreased, catalase activity increased, and urease activity decreased first and then increased. At the first harvest, compared with that for the control group, the soil pH after treatment with remediation materials increased from 5.41 to 7.43; the activities of urease, acid protease, and catalase increased by 62.8%, 38.6%, and 86.1%, respectively. And the activities of sucrase and acid phosphatase decreased by 17.3% and 24.7%, respectively. At the second harvest, the activities of acid phosphatase, acid protease, and cellulase continued to increase, but those of sucrase and catalase decreased. The results showed that soil enzyme activity was closely related to the type and addition of remediation materials, as well as the type of the enzyme.