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Biochar mitigates the interactive effects of microplastics and cadmium pollution on soil characteristics and Pak choi (Brassica rapa chinensis L) growth
Summary
When plastic pollution and cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) mix together in soil, they make crops more stressed and likely to absorb more contamination than either pollutant alone—bad news since Pak choi is a common leafy vegetable. Researchers found that adding a specific type of charcoal-like soil additive, made from a weed called Solidago canadensis, helped plants grow bigger and cut cadmium buildup in the edible parts by nearly 20%. This suggests a low-cost way to grow safer vegetables in contaminated soil, though real-world farm testing is still needed before this becomes a practical solution.
Heavy metals and microplastics (MPs) are persistent co-contaminants in agricultural soils, posing serious threats to agricultural sustainability. Biochar (BC) amendments have demonstrated potential for soil remediation and health improvement, but their efficacy in soils co-contaminated with heavy metals and MPs remains unclear. A factorial pot experiment evaluated four biochars derived from Solidago canadensis L. (SBU-BC), corn straw (CoB), rice straw (RoB), and peach twigs (PoB) in soils contaminated with cadmium (Cd) and polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs), applied individually or together. After a growth cycle of Pak choi (Brassica rapa chinensis L.), soil properties and plant physiological indices (e.g., antioxidant enzymes) were assessed. Co-contamination of Cd and MPs synergistically exacerbated oxidative stress in plants, elevating leaf superoxide dismutase activity by 32% relative to single-stress conditions. Among the BC treatments, SBU-BC proved most effective, alleviating stress, increasing Pak choi biomass by 15.5%, reducing Cd accumulation in shoots and roots by nearly 20%, and enhancing soil nutrient availability (e.g., cation exchange capacity, nitrate). These findings suggest that SBU-BC may contribute to better soil conditions and increased crop resilience under Cd and MPs co-contaminated soils, however, further field-scale trials are required to validate its effectiveness under real agricultural conditions.