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Effect of Biochar in Cadmium Availability and Soil Biological Activity in an Anthrosol Following Acid Rain Deposition and Aging

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution volume 226, Article number: 164 (2015) Cite this article

Abstract

Acidic deposition is a worldwide problem that often leads to the increase in soil available heavy metals. Liming and biochar can both raise soil pH and immobilize heavy metals. An experiment was conducted in the laboratory to study the effects of acidic deposition on soil Cd mobility and soil biological activity in a soil polluted with Cd. Biochar, prepared from poultry litter biochar (PLB) or eucalyptus biochar (EB) was added at a rate of 3 %. Liming controls, bringing the soil to the same pH as that attained with biochar, were also used. The experimental results showed a higher risk of Cd leaching and impaired biological properties under simulated acid rain. Biochar addition resulted in a reduction in the risk of leaching and in improved biological properties and could provide benefits over liming for the management of soil polluted with heavy metals, especially in areas affected by acidic deposition.

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Acknowledgments

J. Paz-Ferreiro was sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (fellowship for young international scientists number 2012Y1SA0002). We acknowledge support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41301571), Key Project of Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong (2014A030311011), Key Project of Bureau of Science and Information Technology of Guangzhou Municipality and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (2013K0008). We thank two anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, #723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District 510650, Guangzhou, China

    H. Lu, Z. Li & S. Fu

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    H. Lu

  3. Departamento de Ingeniería Geologica y Minera, ETSI Minas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, C/Ríos Rosas n 21, 28003, Madrid, Spain

    A. Méndez

  4. Departamento de Produccion Agraria, ETSI Agrónomos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Avenida Complutense 3, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    G. Gascó

  5. School of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia

    J. Paz-Ferreiro

Authors
  1. H. Lu
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  2. Z. Li
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  3. S. Fu
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  4. A. Méndez
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  6. J. Paz-Ferreiro
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Correspondence to Z. Li or J. Paz-Ferreiro.

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Lu, H., Li, Z., Fu, S. et al. Effect of Biochar in Cadmium Availability and Soil Biological Activity in an Anthrosol Following Acid Rain Deposition and Aging. Water Air Soil Pollut 226, 164 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2401-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2401-y

Keywords

  • Biochar
  • Cadmium
  • Acid rain
  • Soil enzymes
  • Aging