Summary
This pot experiment investigated the synergistic potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and citric acid for simultaneous remediation of cadmium and polybrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-209) co-contamination in soil using Solanum nigrum. The combined treatment enhanced soil enzyme activities (polyphenol oxidase and urease), which accelerated BDE-209 debromination and dissipation, achieving a 42.80% reduction in soil BDE-209 concentration and a 13.09% reduction in soil cadmium concentration. The findings suggest that combining mycorrhizal inoculation with chelator application offers a promising sustainable strategy for mitigating dual-pollutant soil contamination.
UK applicability
Given the prevalence of industrial legacy sites and potential PBDE contamination in UK soils, these remediation findings may be relevant to UK soil remediation practice, though the applicability would depend on soil type, climate conditions, and the suitability of Solanum nigrum for UK field conditions. Further trials under UK-specific soil and weather conditions would be needed to validate the approach.
Key measures
Soil cadmium and BDE-209 concentration; shoot cadmium concentration; ethanol-extractable cadmium; BDE-209 accumulation in shoots; plant biomass; soil polyphenol oxidase activity; soil urease activity; cadmium speciation in soil
Outcomes reported
The study assessed the remediation potential of Solanum nigrum grown in cadmium and BDE-209 co-contaminated soil under four treatments (control, citric acid, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and combined). The combined treatment reduced soil cadmium concentration by 13.09% and soil BDE-209 concentration by 42.80% compared to control.
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