Nanoscale zerovalent iron, carbon nanotubes and biochar facilitated the phytoremediation of cadmium contaminated sediments by changing cadmium fractions, sediments properties and bacterial community structure

Environment functional materials have been widely used, but whether their effects on the contaminated environment could facilitate phytoremediation is not yet well understood. In this study, starch stabilized nanoscale zerovalent iron (SN), multiwall carbon nanotubes (MW) and tea waste derived biochar (TB) were used to facilitate the phytoremediation of cadmium (Cd) contaminated sediments by Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich. Results showed that 100 mg/kg SN, 500 mg/kg MW and 500 mg/kg TB facilitated phytoremediation, as evidenced by increasing Cd accumulation and/or promoting plant growth. These concentrations of materials increased the reducible fraction of Cd by 9-10% and decreased the oxidizable proportion of Cd by 48-52%, indicating the improvement of Cd bioavailability through converting the oxidizable Cd into reducible form. The activities of urease, phosphatase and catalase, which related to nutrient utilization and oxidative stress alleviation, increased by 20-24%, 25-26%, and 8-9% in the sediments treated with 500 mg/kg MW and 500 mg/kg TB, respectively. In addition, the 16S rRNA gene sequence results showed that these concentrations of materials changed the bacterial diversity. The abundance of Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae and Firmicutes were increased by some of the applied materials, which could promote plant growth, change Cd bioavailability and reduce Cd toxicity. These findings indicated that the applied environment functional materials could facilitate the phytoremediation of Cd contaminated environment by changing Cd fractions, sediments properties and bacterial community structure.

Automated summary

This study demonstrated that the use of starch-stabilized nanoscale zerovalent iron, multiwall carbon nanotubes, and tea waste-derived biochar facilitated the phytoremediation of cadmium-contaminated sediments by Boehmeria nivea. These materials altered the forms of Cd, sediment properties, and bacterial community structure, promoting plant growth and enhancing Cd bioavailability.