Remediation of atrazine contaminated soil with the help of hydrothermal carbon/diatomite composite inoculated with degrading microorganisms

Abstract

Atrazine (ATZ) is a potent herbicide for annual broadleaf weeds, but it remains in the soil for a long time, causing serious phytotoxicity to subsequent crops, especially in maize fields. In this study, hydrothermal carbon was prepared from waste mushroom substrate and mixed with diatomite to serve as a microbial medium for culturing Arthrobacter sp. NJ-1, aiming to synergistically remediate ATZ-contaminated soil. When the ratio of hydrothermal carbon to diatomite was 3:2, the removal efficiency of ATZ in aqueous solution was the best-up to 81.67 %. The growth analysis of NJ-1 under different treatments revealed that the concentration of NJ-1 cultured with hydrothermal carbon/diatomite composite (MHS) was significantly higher than that of other combinations. Moreover, the application of MHS in conjunction with Arthrobacter sp. NJ-1 in ATZ-contaminated soil resulted in the removal of 92.52 % of ATZ residues. Additionally, this treatment significantly improved the physicochemical properties of the soil and enhanced soil fertility. The results of pot experiments showed that, compared to the control group plants significantly affected by ATZ pollution, the growth status of the experimental group plants improved after treatment with MHS synergistic Arthrobacter sp. NJ-1 system. These findings provide effective technical support and a theoretical basis for the remediation of ATZ-contaminated soil.