Effective immobilisation of chromium in a polluted calcareous soil using modified biochar and bacterial inoculation.

Zibaei, Zahra; Ghasemi-Fasaei, Reza; Ronaghi, Abdolmajid; Zarei, Mehdi; Zeinali, Sedigheh

Immobilisation is among efficient strategies in the remediation of heavy metals, including chromium (Cr)-polluted soils. A greenhouse trial was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of chitosan- and hematite-modified biochar and bacterial inoculations on the immobilisation of Cr in polluted soil under maize cultivation. Application of modified biochars and inoculation with Pseudomonas putida significantly increased both maize root and shoot dry matter yields but decreased Cr phytoextraction efficiency. Root and shoot concentration and uptake as well as mean translocation factor of Cr drastically decreased following the application of unmodified or modified biochars. Bacterial inoculation significantly decreased mean translocation factor and also root and shoot concentration and shoot uptake of Cr. Chitosan-modified biochar was the most influential treatment in decreasing Cr uptake by maize followed by pseudomonas putida inoculation treatment. Results reported herein demonstrated satisfied impacts of chitosan-modified biochar and inoculation with pseudomonas putida in increasing dry matter yield and decreasing Cr uptake in maize grown on Cr-polluted soil. According to the results of present study, modified biochars application and bacterial inoculation are influential treatments which prevent Cr toxicity probably through the transformation of mobile and mobilisable Cr forms to unavailable form in soil.

CALCAREOUS soils; HEAVY metals removal (Sewage purification); PSEUDOMONAS putida; HEMATITE; CHROMIUM; BIOCHAR

Chemistry & Ecology, 2020, Vol 36, Issue 9, p827

0275-7540

Academic Journal

10.1080/02757540.2020.1789117