Enhanced arsenic depletion by rice plant from flooded paddy soil with soluble organic fertilizer application

In this study, the promoting effect of soluble organic fertilizer (SOF) on arsenic (As) release and depletion by rice plant in flooded paddy soil was investigated. The increased soil DOC with SOF incorporation displayed a significantly positive correlation with As in soil solution (r = 0.415, p < 0.01). Porewater As with SOF addition was higher than control from 77 days. Soil As depletion by rice plant was enhanced by SOF application, with porewater As in SM + Rice + SOF being 49% lower than that in SM + Rice at harvest. Compared to SM + Rice, the averaged soil profile of As measured by diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) declined by 4% in tillering stage and by 16% in grain-filling stage in SM + Rice + SOF. As a result, As accumulation in each rice plant was increased by 35% at the presence of SOF, with 92% of total As retained in roots. With SOF amendment, 8% of total As in the tested soil was removed by harvesting rice biomass including root. In this way, an estimated 184 mg As m^-2 can be depleted from paddy soil at the end of one rice-growing season. These results revealed the potential of SOF in enhancing soil As depletion by rice plant under flooded condition, providing a cost-effective pathway for efficient cleanup of bioavailable As from rice paddies.