Mechanistic insights into the synergetic remediation and amendment effects of zeolite/biochar composite on heavy metal-polluted red soil

doi:10.1007/s11783-024-1874-6

2024, Vol. 18

Issue (9) : 114 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-024-1874-6

Mechanistic insights into the synergetic remediation and amendment effects of zeolite/biochar composite on heavy metal-polluted red soil

Jing Li, Dazhong Yang, Wensong Zou, Xuezhen Feng, Ranhao Wang, Renji Zheng, Siyuan Luo, Zheting Chu, Hong Chen(

)

State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China

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Abstract

● Converting of red soil into a zeolite framework has been reported for the first time.

● Zeolite/biochar composite material exerts significant effects on synergetic heavy metal remediation and soil quality amendment.

● The observation of single atoms after soil remediation indicates single atoms may be a universal phenomenon in natural environment.

Red soil, the most critical soil resource in tropical/subtropical regions worldwide, faces tremendous threats, including nutrient deficiency, acidification, and heavy metal contamination. There is a great demand for multifunctional eco-materials capable of modifying this situation. Herein, we used widely distributed soil and biomass to develop a zeolite/biochar composite for synergistic red soil remediation and amendment. With the composite material, the Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ remediation efficiencies reached 92.8% and 92.9%, respectively, in stems under optimal conditions. Moreover, the acidity and nutrient deficiency conditions of red soil significantly improved. The atomic-scale interaction mechanism during the remediation and amendment process was elucidated with complementary characterization methods, which revealed that in the zeolite/biochar composite material, zeolite contributes to long-term heavy metal remediation effects. Simultaneously, biochar is responsible for soil quality amendment and short-term heavy metal remediation. Furthermore, for the first time, single-atom heavy metal ions were observed on biochar during the remediation process, indicating the broad distribution of single atoms in the natural environment.

Keywords Red soil Heavy metal pollution Zeolite/biochar composite Soil remediation Soil amendment

Corresponding Author(s): Hong Chen

Issue Date: 01 July 2024

Cite this article:

Jing Li,Dazhong Yang,Wensong Zou, et al. Mechanistic insights into the synergetic remediation and amendment effects of zeolite/biochar composite on heavy metal-polluted red soil[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2024, 18(9): 114.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-024-1874-6
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2024/V18/I9/114

Tab.1 The optimal recipe for ANA synthesis

Fig.1 Characterization of as-synthesized ANA zeolite. (a) XRD pattern; (b) SEM and EDS mapping images; (c) N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherm (Inset: pore size distribution); (d) zeta potential analysis.

Fig.2 Characterization of rice straw biochar. (a) XRD pattern; (b) SEM image; (c) N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherm (Inset: pore size distribution); (d) zeta potential analysis.

Fig.3 (a) Growth status of pakchoi planted in Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ contaminated red soil; Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ accumulation in (b) stems and (c) leaves of pakchoi with different dosages of zeolite/biochar composite addition.

Fig.4 Red soil quality variation after zeolite/biochar composite material addition. (a) TN; (b) fast available P; (c) fast available K; (d) TOC.

Fig.5 Characterization of ANA after remediation. (a) XPS spectra; (b–d) SEM image and EDS mapping images.

Fig.6 Characterization of biochar after remediation. (a) STEM-EDS mapping images of C, O, P, Al, Si, Cd, and Pb in the biochar; (b) Atomic-resolution HAADF-STEM image; (c) XRD patterns; (d) FT-IR spectra; and (e) XPS spectra.

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