Efficiency of repeated phytoextraction of cadmium and zinc from an agricultural soil contaminated with sewage sludge.
Long-term application of sewage sludge resulted in soil cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) contamination in a pot experiment conducted to phytoextract Cd/Zn repeatedly using Sedum plumbizincicola and Apium graceolens in monoculture or intercropping mode eight times. Shoot yields and soil physicochemical properties changed markedly with increasing number of remediation crops when the two plant species were intercropped compared with the unplanted control soil and the two monoculture treatments. Changes in soil microbial indices such as average well colour development, soil enzyme activity and soil microbial counts were also significantly affected by the growth of the remediation plants, especially intercropping with S. plumbizincicola and A. graveolens. The higher yields and amounts of Cd taken up indicated that intercropping of the hyperaccumulator and the vegetable species may be suitable for simultaneous agricultural production and soil remediation, with larger crop yields and higher phytoremediation efficiencies than under monoculture conditions.
a Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Nanjing , China.
Kai
K
Luo
Tingting
T
Ma
Hongyan
H
Liu
Longhua
L
Wu
Jing
J
Ren
Fengjiao
F
Nai
Rui
R
Li
Like
L
Chen
Yongming
Y
Luo
Peter
P
Christie
D000077102:Apium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D031963:Sedum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
D012722:Sewage; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium; D015032:Zinc
BIOLOG test; Cd and Zn contamination; Sedum plumbizincicola; intercropping; repeated phytoextraction