Effects of different remediation methods on phosphorus transformation and availability

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Soil Science
• Bioremediation

Background:

• Heavy metal pollution impacts soil nutrient cycling and health.
• The comparative effects of phytoextraction (PE) and passivation remediation (PR) on soil phosphorus transformation are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of PE and PR in remediating cadmium-polluted soil.
• To investigate the impact of these methods on soil phosphorus transformation, nutrient availability, and microbial communities.

Main Methods:

• Pot experiment comparing PE and PR on Cd-polluted soil.
• Analysis of soil physicochemical properties, phosphorus fractions, enzyme activities, and microbial communities (including phoC and phoD genes).

Main Results:

• PE significantly reduced total and available Cd, increased labile and moderately labile P, and enhanced soil pH, NH4+-N, and acid phosphatase activity.
• PR reduced available Cd but had no effect on total Cd, increased soil pH, NO3--N, and AK, while decreasing labile P.
• PE increased abundance of P-dissolving bacteria (Streptomyces) and P-converting bacteria (Bradyrhizobium, Frankia), positively correlated with labile P.

Conclusions:

• PE is a superior remediation strategy for cadmium-polluted soils compared to PR.
• PE effectively removes cadmium while promoting phosphorus availability and beneficial microbial communities, indicating its potential as a green and sustainable approach for soil quality improvement.