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Updated: Aug 28, 2025
Physical, Chemical and Biological Characterization of Six Biochars Produced for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites
Published on: November 28, 2014
Cow bone-derived biochar enhances microbial biomass and alters bacterial community composition and diversity in a
Muhammad Azeem1, Parimala Gnana Soundari Arockiam Jeyasundar2, Amjad Ali3
1Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China; Zhejiang Key Lab of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo, 315830, China; College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Punjab, 46300, Pakistan.
Abstract:
Bone waste could be utilized as a potential amendment for remediation of smelter-contaminated soils. Nevertheless, the influences of cow bone-derived biochar (CB) on soil microbial biomass and microbial community composition in multi-metal contaminated mining soils are still not clearly documented. Hence, the cow bone was used as feedstock material for biochar preparation and pyrolyzed at two temperatures such as 500 °C (CB500) and 800 °C (CB800), and added to a smelter soil at the dosage of 0 (unamended control), 2.5, 5, and 10% (w/w); then, the soil treatments were cultivated by maize. The CB effect on soil biochemical attributes and response of soil microbial biomass, bacterial communities, and diversity indices were examined after harvesting maize. Addition of CB enhanced total nutrient contents (i.e., total nitrogen up to 26% and total phosphorus P up to 27%) and the nutrients availability (i.e., NH4 up to 50%; NO3 up to 31%; Olsen P up to 48%; extractable K up to 18%; dissolved organic carbon up to 74%) in the treated soil, as compared to the control. The CB500 application revealed higher microbial biomass C (up to 66%), P (up to 41%), and bacterial gene abundance (up to 76%) than the control. However, comparatively a lower microbial biomass nitrogen and diversity indices were observed in the biochar (both with CB500 and CB800) treated soils than in the unamended soils. At the phylum level, the highest dose (10% of CB500 and CB800 resulted in contrasting effects on the Proteobacteria diversity. The CB50010 favored the Pseudomonas abundance (up to 793%), Saccharibacteria (583%), Parcubacteria (138%), Actinobacteria (65%), and Firmicutes (48%) microbial communities, while CB80010 favored the Saccharibacteria (386%), Proteobacteria (12%) and Acidobacteria (11%), as compared to the control. These results imply that CB500 and CB800 have a remarkable impact on microbial biomass and bacterial diversity in smelter contaminated soils. Particularly, CB500 was found to be suitable for enhancing microbial biomass, bacterial growth of specific phylum, and diversity, which can be useful for bioremediation of mining soils.
