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Biochar Offsets Microplastic-Induced Cadmium Mobilization and Plant Accumulation in Contaminated Soils
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This greenhouse study found that microplastics in soil can increase how much cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) is absorbed by crops. Adding biochar to the soil helped counteract this effect, reducing cadmium uptake by plants — a promising finding for protecting food safety in contaminated farmland.
Abstract Co-occurrence of heavy metals and plastic-derived pollutants represents a novel challenge for agroecosystem sustainability, yet the mechanistic interplay between biochar (BC) amendments, microplastics (MPs) and cadmium (Cd) remains largely unresolved. A controlled greenhouse factorial experiment arranged in a completely randomized factorial design with six replicates per treatment was conducted to elucidate the BC-MPs-Cd interactions in a loamy slightly neutral soil cultivated with wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). Treatments included two Cd levels (0, 10 mg kg −1 ), three MPs doses (0, 1, 2% w/w) and two BC rates (0, 1% w/w). BC application markedly increased soil pH (up to 8.11) and organic matter, while reducing DTPA-extractable Cd by up to 36% under Cd10MP2, indicative of pH-driven sorption and precipitation processes. MPs, in contrast, enhanced Cd mobility in a dose-dependent manner in BC-free soils. Elevated Cd bioavailability under Cd10 + MPs treatments resulted in substantial increases in shoot and grain Cd concentrations (20.2 and 4.00 mg kg −1 , respectively) and concomitant reductions in biomass and grain yield (15–26% decreases), whereas BC partially mitigated these effects by lowering tissue Cd accumulation (~ 12% reduction). Nitrogen dynamics remained largely unaffected, while Zn availability exhibited secondary yet significant shifts. PCA revealed distinct clustering along Cd mobility versus plant performance axes, reflecting the contrasting regulatory roles of BC and MPs. Overall, BC functioned as a robust chemical buffer against Cd stress even under MPs presence, whereas MPs exacerbated Cd bioavailability and phytotoxicity. These findings provide critical insights into multi-contaminant interactions and underscore the necessity of integrated remediation strategies in contaminated agricultural soils. Graphical Abstract
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Unlocking the microplastics amplification effect: How biochar counters heavy metal risks by driving speciation shifts and reversing soil property degradation
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Microplastics in soil make toxic heavy metals like lead and cadmium more available to plants, meaning crops grown in contaminated soil could absorb more of these harmful substances into food. Adding biochar—a charcoal-like material made from wood chips or straw—to soil helped reverse this problem by improving soil health and locking lead into safer forms, cutting its uptake in lettuce by about a quarter. This matters because it points to an affordable way to reduce heavy metal contamination in food crops grown in polluted soil, though the treatment worked less well against cadmium, so it's not a complete fix.
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