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Yasin MU, Hannan F, Munir R, Muhammad S, Iqbal M, Yasin I, Khan MSS, Kanwal F, Chunyan Y, Fan X, Gan Y. Interactive mode of biochar-based silicon and iron nanoparticles mitigated Cd-toxicity in maize. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169288. [PMID: 38110103 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium contamination poses severe environmental and health threats, necessitating effective mitigation strategies. Rice husk biochar (BC) and nanoparticle (NP) treatments are emerging strategies with limited research on their synergistic benefits. This study assesses BC, silicon NPs (nSi), and iron NPs (nFe) modifications (B-nSi, B-nFe, and B-nSi-nFe) to reduce Cd-bioavailability in soil and its toxicity in maize, not reported before. Characterization of amendments validated, nSi and nFe attachment to BC, forming new mineral crystals to adsorb Cd. We found that B-nSi-nFe induced Cd-immobilization in soil by the formation of Cd-ligand complexes with the effective retention of NPs within microporous structure of BC. B-nSi-nFe increased soil pH by 0.76 units while reducing bioavailable Cd by 49 %, than Ck-Cd. Resultantly, B-nSi-nFe reduced Cd concentrations in roots and shoots by 51 % and 75 %, respectively. Moreover, the application of B-nSi-nFe significantly enhanced plant biomass, antioxidant activities, and upregulated the expression of antioxidant genes [ZmAPX (3.28 FC), ZmCAT (3.20 FC), ZmPOD (2.58 FC), ZmSOD (3.08 FC), ZmGSH (3.17 FC), and ZmMDHAR (3.80 FC)] while downregulating Cd transporter genes [ZmNramp5 (3.65 FC), ZmHMA2 (2.92 FC), and ZmHMA3 (3.40 FC)] compared to Ck-Cd. Additionally, confocal microscopy confirmed the efficacy of B-nSi-nFe in maintaining cell integrity due to reduced oxidative stress. SEM and TEM observations revealed alleviation of Cd toxicity to stomata, guard cells, and ultracellular structures with B-nSi-nFe treatment. Overall, this study demonstrated the potential of B-nSi-nFe for reducing Cd mobility in soil-plant system, mitigating Cd-toxicity in plants and improving enzymatic activities in soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Umair Yasin
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Fakhir Hannan
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Raheel Munir
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Sajid Muhammad
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Muhammad Iqbal
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Iqra Yasin
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | | | - Farah Kanwal
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yang Chunyan
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xingming Fan
- Institute of Food Crops, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yinbo Gan
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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