[Effect of composting organic fertilizer supplies on hexachlorobenzene dechlorination in paddy soils]

A rice pot experiment was conducted in two soils, Hydragric Acrisols (Ac) and Gleyi-Stagnic Anthrosols (An). Three treatments including control and additions of 1% or 2% composting organic fertilizer were designed for each soil. The objective of this research was to evaluate the reductive dechlorination of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) as affected by organic fertilizer supplies in planted paddy soils, and to analyze the relationship between methane production and HCB dechlorination. The results showed that the HCB residues were decreased by 28.6%-30.1% of the initial amounts in Ac, and 47.3% -61.0% in An after 18 weeks of experiment. The amount of HCB and its metabolite uptake by rice plants was only a few thousandths of the initial HCB amount in soils. The main product of HCB dechlorination was pentachlorobenzene (PeCB). The rates of HCB dechlorination in An were higher than those in Ac, which was mainly attributed to the higher pH and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content of An. The applications of both 1% and 2% composting organic fertilizer showed significant inhibition on PeCB production after the 6th and 10th week in Ac and An, respectively. In both tested soils, no significant difference of PeCB production rates was observed between the applications of 1% and 2% composting organic fertilizer. The role of methanogenic bacteria in HCB dechlorination was condition-dependent.