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Biochar reduces the bioavailability and phytotoxicity of heavy metals

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Abstract

Background and aims

Biochar has attracted research interest due to its ability to increase the soil carbon pool and improve crop productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the metal immobilizing impact of chicken manure- and green waste-derived biochars, and their effectiveness in promoting plant growth.

Methods

The immobilization and phytoavailability of Cd, Cu and Pb was examined using naturally contaminated shooting range and spiked soils. Biochar samples prepared from chicken manure and green waste were used as soil amendments.

Results

Application of biochar significantly reduced NH4NO3 extractable Cd, Cu and Pb concentrations of soils, indicating the immobilization of these metals. Chicken manure-derived biochar increased plant dry biomass by 353 and 572% for shoot and root, respectively with 1% of biochar addition. This might be attributed to reduced toxicity of metals and increased availability of nutrients such as P and K. Both biochars significantly reduced Cd, Cu and Pb accumulation by Indian mustard (Brassica juncea), and the reduction increased with increasing amount of biochar application except Cu concentration. Metal sequential fractionation data indicated that biochar treatments substantially modified the partitioning of Cd, Cu and Pb from the easily exchangeable phase to less bioavailable organic bound fraction.

Conclusions

The results clearly showed that biochar application was effective in metal immobilization, thereby reducing the bioavailability and phytotoxicity of heavy metals.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE), Korea through Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology as a Hub University for Industrial Collaboration (HUNIC). The authors thank Byoung Hwan Seo, Si Young Choi and Seul Ji Lee for laboratory assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, Building X, University of South Australia, University Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia

    Jin Hee Park, Girish Kumar Choppala, Nanthi Sirangie Bolan & Thammared Chuasavathi

  2. Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, Adelaide, SA, 5095, Australia

    Jin Hee Park, Girish Kumar Choppala, Nanthi Sirangie Bolan & Thammared Chuasavathi

  3. Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Jin Hee Park

  4. Department of Environmental Engineering, Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology, Dongjin-ro 33, Jinju, Gyeongnam, 660-758, Republic of Korea

    Jae Woo Chung

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  1. Jin Hee Park
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  2. Girish Kumar Choppala
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  3. Nanthi Sirangie Bolan
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  4. Jae Woo Chung
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  5. Thammared Chuasavathi
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Correspondence to Nanthi Sirangie Bolan.

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Responsible Editor: Johannes Lehmann.

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Park, J.H., Choppala, G.K., Bolan, N.S. et al. Biochar reduces the bioavailability and phytotoxicity of heavy metals. Plant Soil 348, 439–451 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0948-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0948-y

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