Facilitation of Morus alba L. intercropped with Sedum alfredii H. and Arundo donax L. on soil contaminated with potentially toxic metals

Safe utilization and remediation potential of the mulberry-silkworm system in heavy metal-contaminated lands: A review

Mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing hold a prominent position in the agricultural industries of many Asian countries, contributing to economic growth, sustainable development, and cultural heritage preservation. Applying the soil-mulberry-silkworm system (SMSS) to heavy metal (HM)-contaminated areas is significant economically, environmentally, and socially. The ultimate goal of this paper is to review the main research progress of SMSS under HM stress, examining factors affecting its safe utilization and remediation potential for HM-contaminated soils. HM tolerance of mulberry and silkworms relates to their growth stages. Based on the standards for HM contaminants in various mulberry and silkworm products and the bioconcentration factor of HMs at different parts of SMSS, we calculated maximum safe Cd and Pb levels for SMSS application on contaminated lands. Several remediation practices demonstrated mulberry's ability to grow on barren lands, absorb various HMs, while silkworm excreta can adsorb HMs and improve soil fertility. Considering multiple factors influencing HM tolerance and accumulation, we propose a decision model to guide SMSS application in polluted areas. Finally, we discussed the potential of using molecular breeding techniques to screen or develop varieties better suited for HM-contaminated regions. However, actual pollution scenarios are often complex, requiring consideration of multiple factors. More large-scale applications are crucial to enhance the theoretical foundation for applying SMSS in HM pollution risk areas.

A field trial for remediation of multi-metal contaminated soils using the combination of fly ash stabilization and Zanthoxylumbungeanum- Lolium perenne intercropping system

Insitu stabilization and phytoextraction are considered as two convenient and effective technologies for the remediation of toxic elements (TEs) in soils. However, the effectiveness of these two remediation technologies together on the bioavailability and phytoextraction of TEs in field trials has not been explored yet. Specifically, the remediation potential of fly ash (FA; as stabilizing agent) and ryegrass (as a TE accumulator) intercropped with a target crop for soil polluted with multiple TEs has not been investigated yet, particularly in long-term field trials. Therefore, in this study, a six-month combined remediation field experiment of FA stabilization and/or ryegrass intercropping (IR) was carried out on the farmland soils contaminated with As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn where Zanthoxylumbungeanum (ZB) trees as native crops were grown for years. The treatments include soil cultivated alone with ZB untreated- (control) and treated-with FA (FA), produced by burning lignite in Shaanxi Datong power plant, China, soil cultivated with ZB and ryegrass untreated- (IR) and treated-with FA (FA + IR). This was underpinned by a large-scale survey in Daiziying (China), which showed that the topsoils were polluted by Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb, and that Hg and Pb contents in the Zanthoxylumbungeanum fruits exceeded their allowable limits. The TEs contents in the studied FA were lower than their total element contents in the soil. The DTPA-extractable TEs contents of the remediation modes were as follows: FA < FA + IR < IR < control. Notably, TEs contents in the ZB fruits were lowest under the FA + IR treatment, which were decreased by 27.6% for As, 42.3% for Cd, 16.7% for Cr, 30.5% for Cu, 23.1% for Hg, 15.5% for Ni, 33.2% for Pb and 38.1% for Zn compared with the control treatment. Whereas the FA + IR treatment enhanced TEs contents in ryegrass shoots and roots, and the TEs contents in ryegrass shoots were below their regulatory limits for fodder crops. The findings confirmed that the combined remediation strategy, i.e., FA (with low content of TEs) stabilization effect and intercropping of ZB (target crop) and ryegrass (accumulating plant) could provide a prospective approach to produce target plants within safe TEs thresholds with greater economic benefits, while remediating soils polluted with multiple TEs and mitigating the potential ecological and human health risk. Those results are of great applicable concern.

Intercropping of Pteris vittata and maize on multimetal contaminated soil can achieve remediation and safe agricultural production

Soil contamination by multimetals is widespread. Hyperaccumulator-crop intercropping has been confirmed to be an effective method for arsenic (As)- or cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil that can achieve soil cleanup and agricultural production. However, the influencing factors and response of hyperaccumulator-crop intercropping to multimetal-contaminated soil are still unclear. In this study, intercropping of the As hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata and maize was conducted on two typical types of multimetal-contaminated soil, namely, Soil A contaminated by As, Cd, and lead (Pb) and Soil B contaminated by As, Cd, and chromium (Cr). Intercropping reduced As, Cd, and Pb in the maize grains by 60 %, 66.7 %, and 20.4 %, respectively. The concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, and Cr in P. vittata increased by 314 %, 300 %, 447.3 %, and 232.6 %, respectively, relative to their concentrations in the monoculture plants. Two soils with different levels of contamination showed that higher heavy metal content might diminish the ability of intercropping to reduce soil heavy metal risk. No notable difference in soil microbial diversity was found between the intercropped and monocultured plants. The composition of microbial communities of intercropping groups were more similar to those of monoculture P. vittata on two different soils (Soils A and B). An imbalance between the amount of As taken up by the plants and the reduction in As in the soil was observed, and this imbalance may be related to watering, As leaching, and heterogeneity of soil As distribution. Reducing the risk resulting from As leaching and enhancing the efficiency of phytoextraction should be emphasized in remediation practices.

Effects of chitosan and rice husk powder on thermal hydrolysis-anaerobic digested sludge conditioning: Dewaterability and biogas slurry fertility

To enhance the dewaterability of anaerobic digested sludge and to make full use of the biogas slurry. This study set up five sludge conditioning methods: polymeric ferric sulfate, polymeric aluminum chloride, cationic polyacrylamide, chitosan, and chitosan combined with rice husk powder. Their effects on the dewaterability of thermal hydrolysis-anaerobic digested sludge, bacterial community, and biogas slurry fertility were studied to find a non-toxic and non-risk dewatering technology for the environment and biogas slurry. Compared with that of the control group, moisture content, normalization capillary suction time, and specific resistance to filtration were reduced by 12.8%, 97.7%, and 82.9%, respectively. Chitosan enlarges the sludge flocs and forms complexes with proteins, disrupting the structure of the extracellular polymeric substances, thereby exposing more hydrophobic groups and reducing the hydrophilicity of the sludge. The subsequent addition of rice husk powder enhances the adsorption of hydrophilic substances and provides a stronger drainage channel for the sludge. In addition, the biogas slurry obtained by this conditioning method used as a fertilizer increased the dry weight and fresh weight of corn seedlings by 59.3% and 91.0%, respectively. And the total chlorophyll content increased by 84.6%. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that chitosan and rice husk meal had no toxic effect on the biogas slurry compared to the other three flocculants. The results showed that the combined treatment of chitosan and rice husk powder resulted in the best dewaterability. Overall, chitosan combined with rice husk powder is a green dewatering technology with great potential for anaerobic digested sludge dewatering and biogas slurry recycling.

Physiological tolerance of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and changes of rhizospheric bacterial communities in response to Cd and Pb in the contaminated soil

Woody plants possess great potential for phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil. A pot trial was conducted to study growth, physiological response, and Cd and Pb uptake and distribution in black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), as well as the rhizosphere bacterial communities in Cd and Pb co-contaminated soil. The results showed that R. pseudoacacia L. had strong physiological regulation ability in response to Cd and Pb stress in contaminated soil. The total chlorophyll, malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble protein, and sulfhydryl contents, as well as antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase) activities in R. pseudoacacia L. leaves under the 40 mg·kg-1 Cd and 1000 mg·kg-1 Pb co-contaminated soil were slightly altered. Cd uptake in R. pseudoacacia L. roots and stems increased, while the Pb content in the shoots of R. pseudoacacia L. under the combined Cd and Pb treatments decreased in relative to that in the single Pb treatments. The bacterial α-diversity indices (e.g., Sobs, Shannon, Simpson, Ace, and Chao) of R. pseudoacacia L. rhizosphere soil under Cd and Pb stress were changed slightly relative to the CK treatment. However, Cd and Pb stress could significantly (p < 0.05) alter the rhizosphere soil microbial communities. According to heat map and LEfSe (Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size) analysis, Bacillus, Sphingomonas, Terrabacter, Roseiflexaceae, Paenibacillus, and Myxococcaceae at the genus level were notably (p < 0.05) accumulated in the Cd- and/or Pb-contaminated soil. Furthermore, the MDA content was notably (p < 0.05) negatively correlated with the relative abundances of Isosphaeraceae, Gaiellales, and Gemmatimonas. The total biomass of R. pseudoacacia L. was positively (p < 0.05) correlated with the relative abundances of Xanthobacteraceae and Vicinamibacreraceae. Network analysis showed that Cd and Pb combined stress might enhance the modularization of bacterial networks in the R. pseudoacacia L. rhizosphere soil. Thus, the assembly of the soil bacterial communities in R. pseudoacacia L. rhizosphere may improve the tolerance of plants in response to Cd and/or Pb stress.

Remediation of Cd contaminated paddy fields by intercropping of the high- and low- Cd-accumulating rice cultivars

Intercropping cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulators with crops have been widely applied in the remediation of contaminated farmland soils. However, most studies were done on drylands since the majority of the hyperaccumulators are susceptible to the aquatic environment, making the remediation of Cd-contaminated paddy fields particularly difficult. Our study attempts to address the issue by intercropping the high-Cd-accumulating (henceforth, "high-Cd") rice cultivars with the low-Cd-accumulating (henceforth, "low-Cd") ones, and to study the Cd removal, uptake and translocation during the remediation process. The results indicated that intercropping mode with 20-cm row spacing (intercropping-20 treatment) performed better than the that with 30-cm row spacing (intercropping-30 treatment), while intercropping had stronger impact on late rice compared to early rice. In general, the physiological condition of rice was stable under the intercropping-20 treatment, suggesting the growth of rice was not impeded. For late rice, as the intercropping-20 treatment can significantly reduce soil pH and increase the diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid extracted Cd (DTPA-extracted Cd) from the rhizosphere soil, Cd accumulated more in the tissues of the high-Cd rice cultivars (H2), and its dry biomass increased. As a result, a drastic improvement in the total Cd removal rate by 38.55 % was noticed. Therefore, the reduction of total Cd concentration in 0-20 cm profile caused by removal, thus it could provide safer soil environment for the growth of low Cd-rice cultivars (L2), leading to a significant drop in the root Cd concentration and safer production of L2. Interestingly, intercropping had no effect on the yield per plant of low-Cd rice cultivars. For early rice, intercropping-20 treatment exerted trivial effects to all aspects. The intercropping-30 treatment has poor representativeness of all indicators because of the large intercropping distance. Our results demonstrate that intercropping of the high-Cd and the low-Cd rice cultivars is a potential mode for Cd remediation in paddy fields.

Remediation effect and mechanism of low-As-accumulating maize and peanut intercropping for safe-utilization of As-contaminated soil

Phytoremediation by intercropping is a potential method to realize both production and remediation. Maize and peanut are the main crops planted in arsenic(As) contaminated areas in south China and vulnerable to As pollution. Experiments were conducted on arsenic-polluted soil with low As-accumulating maize monoculture (M), peanut monoculture (P), and intercropping with different distances between the maize and peanut (0.2 m, 0.35 m, and 0.5 m, recorded as MP0.2, MP0.35, and MP0.5, respectively). The results indicated that the As content in the maize grains and peanut lipids in the intercropping system decreased significantly, meeting the food safety standard of China (GB 2762-2017). Moreover, the land equivalent ratio (LER) and heavy metal removal equivalence ratio (MRER) of all intercropping treatments were greater than 1, indicating that this intercropping agrosystem has the advantage of production and arsenic removal, among which the yield and LER of MP0.35 treatment were the highest. Additionally, the bioconcentration factors (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) of MP0.2 increased by 117.95% and 16.89%, respectively, indicating that the root interaction affected the absorption of As in soil by crops. This study preliminarily demonstrated the feasibility of this intercropping system to safely use and remedy arsenic-contaminated farmland during production.

Effects of topdressing silicon fertilizer at key stages on uptake and accumulation of arsenic in rice

The booting stage and filling stage have been considered as the key stages for arsenic (As) uptake in rice. In this study, a field study was conducted to investigate the influence of the topdressing different amounts of silicon (Si) fertilizer at the key stages on rice As uptake and accumulation. The results showed that topdressing of a low amount of Si fertilizer at the booting stage and filling stage could increase rice yield, promote the formation of iron plaque and the retention of As on iron plaque, and reduce inorganic As content in brown rice. Compared with the control, the rice grain yield was increased by 22.60% with the topdressing of 20 kg·hm^-2 Si fertilizer at the grain filling stage. As compared with the control, the Fe and As content in iron plaque under the topdressing of 20 kg·hm^-2 Si fertilizer at the booting stage and filling stage was significantly (p < 0.05) increased by 84.34% and 87.78% (Fe content) and 70.96% and 63.80% (As content), respectively. Meanwhile, contents of As in rice roots, stems, and husks at the topdressing of 20 kg·hm^-2 Si fertilizer at the booting stage were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by 45.10%, 33.34%, and 31.23%, respectively, relative to the control. The lowest inorganic As content (0.21 mg·kg^-1) in brown rice was obtained at the topdressing of 20 kg·hm^-2 Si fertilizer at the booting stage, which was close to the National Food Limit Standard of 0.20 mg·kg^-1 (GB 2762-2017). Therefore, topdressing of 20 kg·hm^-2 Si fertilizer at the booting stage might be considered as an effective method to reduce inorganic As content in brown rice.

Co-application of combined amendment (limestone and sepiolite) and Si fertilizer reduces rice Cd uptake and transport through Cd immobilization and Si-Cd antagonism

Limestone and sepiolite combined amendment (LS) and silicon (Si) fertilizers are commonly applied for the remediation of Cd-polluted paddy soil. However, it is difficult to further decrease cadmium (Cd) accumulation in rice grains by the individual application of LS or Si fertilizer to heavily Cd-polluted paddy fields. Two seasons of continuous field experiments were conducted in heavily Cd-polluted soil to study how the co-application of LS and Si fertilizer (namely soil-applied Si and foliar-sprayed Si) influences Cd and Si bioavailability in soil and Cd uptake and transport in rice. The results indicated that LS co-applied with soil-applied Si fertilizer treatments can enhance pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and available Si content in soil by 0.56-1.26 units, 19.3%-57.2%, and 14.7%-58.9% (p < 0.05), respectively, and reduce the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) extractable Cd content in soil by 26.5%-49.8% (p < 0.05) relative to the control. Furthermore, the co-application of LS and soil and foliar-sprayed Si fertilizer treatments reduced the Cd content in brown rice by 18.8%-70.6% (p < 0.05) compared with the control. Particularly, the brown rice Cd content under the co-application treatment (4500 kg/ha of soil applied LS, 90 kg/ha of Si fertilizer, and 0.4 g/L of foliar-sprayed Si fertilizer) was below 0.20 mg/kg in both seasons. Meanwhile, the Si content in rice was considerably enhanced by LS co-applied with Si fertilizer and negatively (p < 0.05) correlated with the rice Cd content. Therefore, the reduction of Cd bioavailability in soil and the antagonistic effect between Cd and Si in rice might be the key factors regulating Cd accumulation in rice via the co-application of LS and Si fertilizer.

Beyond Cleansing: Ecosystem Services Related to Phytoremediation

Phytotechnologies used for cleaning up urban and suburban polluted soils (i.e., brownfields) have shown some weakness in the excessive extent of the timeframe required for them to be effectively operating. This bottleneck is due to technical constraints, mainly related to both the nature of the pollutant itself (e.g., low bio-availability, high recalcitrance, etc.) and the plant (e.g., low pollution tolerance, low pollutant uptake rates, etc.). Despite the great efforts made in the last few decades to overcome these limitations, the technology is in many cases barely competitive compared with conventional remediation techniques. Here, we propose a new outlook on phytoremediation, where the main goal of decontaminating should be re-evaluated, considering additional ecosystem services (ESs) related to the establishment of a new vegetation cover on the site. The aim of this review is to raise awareness and stress the knowledge gap on the importance of ES associated with this technique, which can make phytoremediation a valuable tool to boost an actual green transition process in planning urban green spaces, thereby offering improved resilience to global climate change and a higher quality of life in cities. This review highlights that the reclamation of urban brownfields through phytoremediation may provide several regulating (i.e., urban hydrology, heat mitigation, noise reduction, biodiversity, and CO₂ sequestration), provisional (i.e., bioenergy and added-value chemicals), and cultural (i.e., aesthetic, social cohesion, and health) ESs. Although future research should specifically be addressed to better support these findings, acknowledging ES is crucial for an exhaustive evaluation of phytoremediation as a sustainable and resilient technology.

Effective utilization of weak alkaline soils with Cd-contamination by wheat and rape intercropping

Recently, there has been increasing concern about the health hazards of heavy metal-polluted farmlands. Recent findings suggest that intercropping could be effective remediation strategy for agricultural soils without affecting crop biomass yield. However, there are concerns on the heavy metal accumulation in plant organs in phytoremediation, emphasizing the need to develop an effective intercropping remediation model. In this study, we evaluated the effects of intercropping rape and wheat with different accumulation characteristics of cadmium (Cd), and crop growth and physiological characteristics. Intercropping significantly reduced the Cd content of rape shoot and root, with the rape-low Cd-accumulating wheat intercropping system yielding the best results. However, intercropping had no significant effect on Cd accumulation in wheat. Additionally, intercropping affected the root system configuration and structure, photosynthetic indicators, chlorophyll content, crop enzyme content, and rhizosphere enzyme activity of both species, but did not significantly affect the biomass of wheat and rape. Overall, our findings showed that intercropping rape with a low Cd-accumulating wheat variety could be an effective model for safe production of wheat and rape in weak alkaline soils without compromising biomass yield. The study demonstrates that similar innovative, effective, and judicious intercropping strategy can enrich the theory of contaminated soil remediation.