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Immobilization of cadmium in soil and improved iron concentration and grain yields of maize (Zea mays L.) by chelated iron amendments

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Abstract

With the development of industrial and agricultural production, the cadmium (Cd) pollution in farmland soil is increasing which threatens the quality and safety of agricultural products in China. The purpose of this research is to explore the potential of chelated iron amendments for reducing the bioavailability of Cd to maize plants. The experiment of maize cultivation was carried out in pots. Maize was cultivated in brown soil collected from a northeast region in China and then artificially contaminated with Cd with an average concentration of 10 mg/kg. The potential of ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid ferric-sodium (EDTANa2Fe) and ethylenediamine-N, N’-bis(2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) ferric-sodium (EDDHAFe) as amendments for Cd immobilization in soils were tested. Effects of different concentrations (0.013, 0.026, 0.053, and 0.08 g/kg) of EDTANa2Fe and EDDHAFe (calculated by iron) on the growth of maize and the Cd and Fe uptake in maize were evaluated. Principle component analysis (PCA) was performed to further analyze the overall effects of iron amendments on Cd accumulation in plants. The results showed that EDTANa2Fe and EDDHAFe at dose of 53 mg/kg reduced available Cd in soil to the value of 5.19 and 4.59 mg/kg, respectively. EDTANa2Fe of 80 mg/kg and EDDHAFe of 26, 53, and 80 mg/kg increased Fe concentration in grains by 34.86%, 36.88%, 41.46%, and 44.05%, respectively, while reduced the Cd content in grains by 39.82%, 42.67%, 48.41%, and 35.08%, respectively. Fe concentration in grains showed a significant negative correlation with the concentration of Cd (P < 0.05). EDTANa2Fe of 53 mg/kg treatment increased the maize yield by 30.45% which was higher than in all other treatments. EDDHAFe treatments of 26 and 53 mg/kg increased the total root length by 39.72% and 48.68%, respectively, and increased the total root surface area by 19.95% and 22.98%, respectively. In general, the application of EDTANa2Fe and EDDHAFe at dose of 53 mg/kg can effectively immobilize Cd in soil and reduce Cd accumulation in maize and improve Fe uptake in grains.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the support of the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFD0801103), and the Open Foundation of Northeast Key Laboratory of Conservation and Improvement of Cultivated Land, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China (No. 2015NYBKFT). We thank all the technicians for their valuable technical support.

Availability of data and materials

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Funding

This research was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFD0801103), and the Open Foundation of Northeast Key Laboratory of Conservation and Improvement of Cultivated Land, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China (No. 2015NYBKFT). Samples collection, analysis, and the interpretation of data were supported by the funding.

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Author notes

  1. Xing Zhang and Peng Zhang contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Land and Environment, National Engineering Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, Northeast Key Laboratory of Conservation and Improvement of Cultivated Land, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, People’s Republic of China

    Xing Zhang, Yanmei Hu, Yuqing Liu, Shanshan Feng, Dawei Guo & Xiuli Dang

  2. School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, Birmingham, UK

    Peng Zhang

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  1. Xing Zhang
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Contributions

DXL guided experimental design and article writing ideas. ZX conducted the pot experiment, and completed most of the test work independently in laboratory, and was a major contributor in writing the manuscript. ZP put forward important guidance on article writing and language expression. HYM provided help on proofreading, formatting, and submission the paper. LYQ, FSS, and GDW assisted on the laboratory work. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Xiuli Dang.

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Zhang, X., Zhang, P., Hu, Y. et al. Immobilization of cadmium in soil and improved iron concentration and grain yields of maize (Zea mays L.) by chelated iron amendments. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 53161–53170 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14523-z

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