Effect of different amounts of fruit peel-based activator combined with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria on enhancing phytoextraction of Cd from farmland soil by ryegrass

To improve the uptake of heavy metals by plants and increase the effectiveness of phytoextraction, chelating agents are employed to change the speciation of heavy metals in soil and increase their bioavailability. However, the effect of a single activator is limited. In recent years, compound activators have been applied widely to improve phytoextraction efficiency. In this study, a fruit peel-based activator (OG) was prepared, containing a mixture of orange peel extracts and tetrasodium glutamate diacetate (GLDA) (1.6% v/v) in a ratio of 1:1 (v/v). The pot experiment was used to investigate the effects of different amounts of OG combined with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (Acinetobacter pitti, AP) on the extraction of Cd from farmland soil by ryegrass (Lolium perenne L). The results indicated that the addition of OG and AP increased the pH and EC of the soil and improved the content of nutrient elements in the soil. The optimal combination of the application rates of OG and AP improved the growth of ryegrass and enhanced the phytoextraction of Cd. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that total soil nitrogen had the greatest influence on phytoextraction, with a contribution rate of 85.3%, followed by pH, with a contribution rate of 7.7%. Total nitrogen, pH, available phosphorus, alkaline nitrogen, and total organic matter were correlated positively with plant Cd, soil Cd decrease ratio, and the bioaccumulation factor but negatively with total Cd and available Cd. Based on the findings of this study, it is feasible to apply the fruit peel-based activator (amended with GLDA) and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria to enhance phytoextraction of Cd, which will provide a valuable reference for the treatment of heavy metal-contaminated soils and the reutilization of fruit peel waste. When applying the compound activator, it is recommended to consider the influence of the additional amount of compound activator on the extraction efficiency.

Automated summary

Chelating agents are used to improve the uptake of heavy metals by plants and increase phytoextraction efficiency. Compound activators, such as a fruit peel-based activator (OG), have been widely applied in recent years. This study investigated the effects of OG combined with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (AP) on the phytoextraction of Cd from farmland soil by ryegrass. The results showed that the optimal combination of OG and AP improved the growth of ryegrass and enhanced the phytoextraction of Cd. Total soil nitrogen and pH were found to have the greatest influence on phytoextraction. The findings suggest that the application of the fruit peel-based activator and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria can effectively enhance phytoextraction of Cd from contaminated soils.