Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Advances in Remediation of Acid Agricultural Soils Contaminated by Heavy Metals in South China

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Twenty Years of Research and Development on Soil Pollution and Remediation in China

Abstract

In South China there are many metal co-mines, and thus soils contaminated by acid mine drainage and multi-metals are frequently encountered. It is urgently needed to remediate the contaminated soils and to improve food safety. Technologies which are of low cost and permeate nonstop agricultural productions are especially welcome. Studies have been undertaken according to these needs to reduce the heavy metals in crops and in soils. It was recommended to use Ca(NO3)2 or NH4HCO3, Ca-Mg-phosphate, and K2SO4 as chemical fertilizers for Cd-contaminated soils. Experiments showed that the waste CaCO3 from sugar industry was useful to reduce the bioavailability and the uptake of Cd, Hg, and Pb by leaf vegetables. Low-Cd cultivars/varieties of rice (Oryza sativa), Cantonese cabbage (Brassica parachinensis), and corn were selected. Using these cultivars could reduce the metal concentration in crop by about 50% than using normal cultivars. Co-crop/intercrop of low-Cd cultivar of corn with Cd hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii was proved feasible to produce safe food/feed and meanwhile to reduce significantly Cd content in soil. Studies showed that the bioavailability of heavy metals could still be high after soil washing by EDTA; liming the chelator-washed soil may release the adsorbed metal chelates and increased the availability of metals to crops and to leaching. Soil washing using FeCl3 for the remediation of Pb- and Cd-contaminated soil is useful. The contamination risk of underground water by heavy metals with normal chemical washing is minimal in the acid ferralsol regions such as South China and can be further reduced by amending the soil of deep layers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adriano DC (1986) Trace elements in the terrestrial environment. Springer, New York, pp 106–155

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fu XH, Wu QT (1995) Effect of some solid waste applications on the uptake of Cd and Pb by leaf vegetables. J Agro-environ Sci 14:145–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo XF, Wei ZB, Qiu JR et al (2010) Differences between corn cultivars in accumulation and translocation of heavy metals. J Ecol Rural Environ 26:367–371

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo X, Wei Z, Wu QT et al (2011) Cadmium and zinc accumulation in maize grain as affected by cultivars and chemical fixation amendments. Pedosphere 21(5):650–656

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo X, Wei Z, Penn CJ et al (2013) Effect of soil washing and liming on bioavailability of heavy metals in acid contaminated soil. Soil Sci Soc Am J 77(2):432–441

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo X, Wei Z, Wu QT et al (2016) Effect of soil washing with only chelators or combining with ferric chloride on soil heavy metal removal and phytoavailability: field experiments. Chemosphere 147:412–419

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hart JJ, Di Tomaso JM, Linscott DL et al (1992) Characterization of the transport and cellular compartmentation of paraquat in roots of intact maize seedlings. Pestic Biochem Physiol 43(3):212–222

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kos B, LeÅ¡tan D (2003) Induced phytoextraction/soil washing of lead using biodegradable chelate and permeable barriers. Environ Sci Technol 37(3):624–629

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • LeÅ¡tan D, Luo C, Li X (2008) The use of chelating agents in the remediation of metal-contaminated soils: a review. Environ Pollut 153(1):3–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo C, Shen Z, Lou L et al (2006) EDDS and EDTA-enhanced phytoextraction of metals from artificially contaminated soil and residual effects of chelant compounds. Environ Pollut 144(3):862–871

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Makino T, Sugahara K, Sakurai Y et al (2006) Remediation of cadmium contamination in paddy soils by washing with chemicals: selection of washing chemicals. Environ Pollut 144(1):2–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MEPC (Ministry of Environmental Protection of China) (2014) Communique on the investigation of soil pollution in China (in Chinese). http://www.zhb.gov.cn/gkml/hbb/qt/201404/t20140417_270670.htm. [2015-7-31]

  • Nowack B (2002) Environmental chemistry of aminopolycarboxylate chelating agents. Environ Sci Technol 36(19):4009–4016

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salt DE, Prince RC, Pickering IJ et al (1995) Mechanisms of cadmium mobility and accumulation in Indian mustard. Plant Physiol 109(4):1427–1433

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shao L, Guo XF, Shi XF et al (2010) Effect of lime on heavy metals uptake by Zea mays and the persistence of the liming effect. J Agro-environ Sci 29(10):1986–1991

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun Y, Wu QT, Lee CCC et al (2014) Cadmium sorption characteristics of soil amendments and its relationship with the cadmium uptake by hyperaccumulator and normal plants in amended soils. Int J Phytoremediation 16(5):496–508

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun Y, Ye H, Wei ZB et al (2017) Root cell wall and phytochelatins in low cadmium cultivar of Brassica parachinensis. Pedosphere (In press). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0160(17)60452-1

  • Wang Q, Dong Y, Cui Y, Liu X (2001) Instances of soil and crop heavy metal contamination in China. Soil Sediment Contam 10(5):497–510

    Google Scholar 

  • Wei ZB (2015) Remediation of Cd/Pb contaminated soil by phytoremediation coupling with chemical treatments. PhD Thesis. South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou

    Google Scholar 

  • Wei ZB, Wu QT, Long XX (2005) Phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soil with mixed chelators in co—crop system. J Agro-environ Sci 24(6):1262–1263

    Google Scholar 

  • Wei ZB, Guo XF, Wu QT et al (2011) Phytoextraction of heavy metals from contaminated soil by co-cropping with chelator application and assessment of associated leaching risk. Int J Phytoremediation 13(7):717–729

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu QT, Morel JL, Guckert A (1989) Effect of nitrogen source on Cd uptake by plants. C R Acad Sci Ser III 309:215–220

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu QT, Chen L, Wang GS (1994) Effect of chemical fertilizers and crop cultivars on Cd accumulation by plants. J S China Agric Univ 15(4):1–6

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu QT, Chen L, Wang GS (1999) Accumulation of Cd by different rice cultivars and its mechanisms. Acta Ecol Sin 19(1):104–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu LH, Luo YM, Xing XR et al (2004) EDTA-enhanced phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soil with Indian mustard and associated potential leaching risk. Agric Ecosyst Environ 102(3):307–318

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu QT, Wei ZB, Ouyang Y (2007a) Phytoextraction of metal-contaminated soil by Sedum alfredii H: effects of chelator and co-planting. Water Air Soil Pollut 180(1–4):131–139

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu QT, Xu ZL, Ye H et al (2007b) Chemical composition of root and stem saps in relation to cadmium resistance and accumulation in Brassica parachinensis. Pedosphere 17(3):352–359

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu QT, Wei ZB, Qiu JR (2011) A chemical washing and deep-layer fixation combined technology to remediate heavy-metals-contaminated soils. China patent No: ZL200910040403.8

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu ZL, Wu QT, Yi YL (2002) Cd resistance of different cultivars of Brassica parachinensis. Acta Ecol Sin 22(4):571–576

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou JL, Shao L, Zhu HR et al (2014) Phytoremediation of inter-cropping with chemical enhancement of heavy-metal-contaminated acid soil: a long-term field experiment. Acta Pedol Sin 51(5):143–152

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Natural Resources and Environment, Key Laboratory on Soil Environment and Waste Reuse in Agriculture of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China

    Qitang Wu, Zebin Wei, Xinxian Long & Chengai Jiang

Authors
  1. Qitang Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zebin Wei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xinxian Long
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chengai Jiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qitang Wu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China

    Yongming Luo

  2. Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, China

    Chen Tu

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Science Press & Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Wu, Q., Wei, Z., Long, X., Jiang, C. (2018). Advances in Remediation of Acid Agricultural Soils Contaminated by Heavy Metals in South China. In: Luo, Y., Tu, C. (eds) Twenty Years of Research and Development on Soil Pollution and Remediation in China. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6029-8_21

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation