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Profile photo of Ronny Berndtsson

Ronny Berndtsson

Professor, Dep Director, MECW Dep Scientific Coordinator

Profile photo of Ronny Berndtsson

Efficacy of Ca-modified cypress biochar in immobilization of heavy metals in contaminated soils

Author

  • Syed Shabbar Hussain Shah
  • Kei Nakagawa
  • Riei Yokoyama
  • Ronny Berndtsson

Summary, in English

Heavy metal (HM) pollution remains a pressing global concern, affecting soil regarding food safety, and negatively influencing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We investigated the efficacy of untreated cypress biochar (UCB) and Ca-modified cypress biochar (MCB) in mitigating HM contamination and enhancing growth across native and contaminated soils (40 mg/kg) in carrot pot experiments. Both biochar types were pyrolyzed at 900 °C and applied at rates of 3 %, 6 %, and 9 %. We found that carrot growth parameters significantly improved, particularly with 6 % UCB also for the contaminated soil. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis showed that both UCB and MCB reduced HM concentrations in the edible part of carrots grown in native and contaminated soils. Pb concentration declined from 1.3 mg/kg to below the detection limit (< 0.3 mg/kg), Zn concentrations decreased from 50.3 mg/kg to 39.8 mg/kg (9 % UCB) and to 36.8 mg/kg (9 % MCB), while Cu concentrations reduced from 35.3 mg/kg to 25.9 mg/kg (9 % UCB) and to 22.6 mg/kg (9 % MCB). MCB, characterized by high pH (9.7) and active nano-sized CaCO3 particles, demonstrated superior HM immobilization compared to UCB. Statistical analysis supported the superior efficacy of MCB in reducing HM bioavailability and uptake. Understanding the specific responses of different plant species to biochar amendments is essential for recommending broader applications of MCB for soil remediation and sustainable agriculture.

Department/s

  • MECW: The Middle East in the Contemporary World
  • Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES)
  • Division of Water Resources Engineering
  • LTH Profile Area: Water

Publishing year

2024-12

Language

English

Publication/Series

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

Volume

12

Issue

6

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Environmental Sciences

Keywords

  • Biotranslocation factors
  • Ca(OH)
  • CaCO
  • Carrot
  • Health risk index
  • XRF analyzer

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2213-3437