Efficient immobilization of toxic heavy metals in multi-contaminated agricultural soils by amino-functionalized hydrochar: Performance, plant responses and immobilization mechanisms

Abstract

A novel amino-functionalized hydrochar material (referred to NH2–HCs) was prepared and used as the soil amendment to immobilize multi-contaminated soils for the first time. The results showed that the application of NH2–HCs significantly improved (P < 0.05) soil properties (i.e., pH value, cation exchange capacity and organic content). By introduction of NH2–HCs, the contaminated soil showed the highest value of 96.2%, 52.2% and 15.5% reductions in Cu, Pb and Cd bioavailable concentrations and the leaching toxicity of Cu, Pb and Cd were remarkably reduced by 98.1%, 31.3% and 30.4%, respectively. Most of exchangeable Cu, Pb and Cd reduced were transformed into its less available forms of oxidizable and residual fractions. Potential ecological risk assessment indicated that the element Cd accounted for the most of total risks in NH2–HCs amended soils. The mechanism study indicated that surface complexation, chemical chelating and cation-pi interaction of NH2–HCs played a vital role in the immobilization of heavy metals. Pot experiments further verified that the application of NH2–HCs significantly improved plant growth and reduced metal accumulations. The present study offered a novel approach to prepare amino-functionalized hydrochars with great potential as the green and alternative amendments for efficiently immobilizing heavy metals in multi-contaminated soil.