Water-soluble chitosan promotes remediation of Pb-contaminated soil by Hylotelephium spectabile

Abstract

● WSC improves physicochemical properties of soil for plant growth.

● Water-soluble and acid-extractable Pb in soil increase with WSC dose.

● Amino and hydroxyl groups in WSC play important roles in mobilizing Pb in soil.

● WSC improves phytoremediation capacity of Pb-contaminated soil by H. spectabile .

Water-soluble chitosan (WSC) has been studied for its ability to mobilize soil Pb and promote the phytoremediation by Hylotelephium spectabile in Pb-contaminated fields. We aimed to clarify the internal mechanism by which WSC impacts phytoremediation by examining plant growth and Pb accumulation performance of H. spectabile as well as the Pb form, functional groups, and mineral phases of Pb-contaminated soil. WSC effectively decreased soil pH and activated Pb migration in rhizosphere soils, with a considerable increase in water-soluble and acid-extractable Pb by 29%–102% and 9%–65%, respectively, and a clear decreasing trend in reducible and oxidizable Pb. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed a significant increase in amino and hydroxyl groups in the soil generated by WSC. The coordination of Pb with amino and hydroxyl groups may play an important role in the formation of Pb complexes and activation of Pb in soil. In field trials, the application of WSC significantly increased Pb accumulation in H. spectabile by 125.44%, reaching 92 g/hm². Moreover, the organic matter and nitrogen in the soils were increased by WSC, which improved the growth conditions of H. spectabile. No obvious growth inhibition was observed in either the pot or field trials. Therefore, WSC is a promising chelating agent for mobilizing Pb in soil. Additionally, WSC can be potentially used to boost H. spectabil-mediated phytoremediation of Pb-contaminated farmland.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Phytoremediation / Pb-contaminated soil / Water-soluble chitosan / Hylotelephium spectabile / Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

References

[1] Ahmad M , Manzoor K , Ikram S . (2017). Versatile nature of hetero-chitosan based derivatives as biodegradable adsorbent for heavy metal ions: a review. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 105: 190–203

[2] Boamah P O , Huang Y , Hua M , Zhang Q , Liu Y , Onumah J , Wang W , Song Y . (2015). Removal of cadmium from aqueous solution using low molecular weight chitosan derivative. Carbohydrate Polymers, 122: 255–264

[3] Borggaard O K , Holm P E , Strobel B W . (2019). Potential of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to extract As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn from polluted soils: a review. Geoderma, 343: 235–246

[4] Cao Y , Zhang S , Zhong Q , Wang G , Xu X , Li T , Wang L , Jia Y , Li Y . (2018). Feasibility of nanoscale zero-valent iron to enhance the removal efficiencies of heavy metals from polluted soils by organic acids. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 162: 464–473

[5] Chen A , Shang C , Shao J , Lin Y , Luo S , Zhang J , Huang H , Lei M , Zeng Q . (2017). Carbon disulfide-modified magnetic ion-imprinted chitosan-Fe(III): a novel adsorbent for simultaneous removal of tetracycline and cadmium. Carbohydrate Polymers, 155: 19–27

[6] Chen L , Yang J Y , Wang D . (2020). Phytoremediation of uranium and cadmium contaminated soils by sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) enhanced with biodegradable chelating agents. Journal of Cleaner Production, 263: 121491

[7] Ganglo C , Rui J , Zhu Q , Shan J , Wang Z , Su F , Liu D , Xu J , Guo M , Qian J . (2020). Chromium (III) coordination capacity of chitosan. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 148: 785–792

[8] Goswami S , Das S . (2015). A Study on cadmium phytoremediation potential of indian mustard, Brassica juncea. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 17(6): 583–588

[9] Guo J , Feng R , Ding Y , Wang R . (2014). Applying carbon dioxide, plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium and EDTA can enhance the phytoremediation efficiency of ryegrass in a soil polluted with zinc, arsenic, cadmium and lead. Journal of Environmental Management, 141: 1–8

[10] Guo J , Wei Y , Yang J , Chen T , Zheng G , Qian T , Liu X , Meng X , He M . (2023). Cultivars and oil extraction techniques affect Cd/Pb contents and health risks in oil of rapeseed grown on Cd/Pb-contaminated farmland. Frontiers of Environmental Science and Engineering, 17(7): 87

[11] Guo J , Yang J , Yang J , Zheng G , Chen T , Huang J , Bian J , Meng X . (2020). Water-soluble chitosan enhances phytoremediation efficiency of cadmium by Hylotelephium spectabile in contaminated soils. Carbohydrate Polymers, 246: 116559

[12] Hamed I , Özogul F , Regenstein J M . (2016). Industrial applications of crustacean by-products (chitin, chitosan, and chitooligosaccharides): a review. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 48: 40–50

[13] Han Y , Zhang L , Gu J , Zhao J , Fu J . (2018). Citric acid and EDTA on the growth, photosynthetic properties and heavy metal accumulation of Iris halophila Pall. cultivated in Pb mine tailings. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation, 128: 15–21

[14] Harbort C J , Hashimoto M , Inoue H , Niu Y , Guan R , Rombolà A D , Kopriva S , Voges M J E E , Sattely E S , Garrido-Oter R . . (2020). Root-secreted coumarins and the microbiota interact to improve iron nutrition in Arabidopsis. Cell Host & Microbe, 28(6): 825–837.e6

[15] Harmon S M . (2022). Biodegradable chelate-assisted phytoextraction of metals from soils and sediments. Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 37: 100677

[16] Hu W , Niu Y , Zhu H , Dong K , Wang D , Liu F . (2021). Remediation of zinc-contaminated soils by using the two-step washing with citric acid and water-soluble chitosan. Chemosphere, 282: 131092

[17] Hui I , Pasquier E , Solberg A , Agrenius K , Håkansson J , Chinga-Carrasco G . (2023). Biocomposites containing poly(lactic acid) and chitosan for 3D printing: assessment of mechanical, antibacterial and in vitro biodegradability properties. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 147: 106136

[18] Jung H S , Kim M H , Shin J Y , Park S R , Jung J Y , Park W H . (2018). Electrospinning and wound healing activity of β-chitin extracted from cuttlefish bone. Carbohydrate Polymers, 193: 205–211

[19] Khan A , Alamry K A . (2021). Recent advances of emerging green chitosan-based biomaterials with potential biomedical applications: a review. Carbohydrate Research, 506: 108368

[20] Kumar M N V R , Muzzarelli R A A , Muzzarelli C , Sashiwa H , Domb A J . (2004). Chitosan chemistry and pharmaceutical perspectives. Chemical Reviews, 104(12): 6017–6084

[21] Lee J , Sung K . (2014). Effects of chelates on soil microbial properties, plant growth and heavy metal accumulation in plants. Ecological Engineering, 73: 386–394

[22] Li J , Chen M , Yang X , Zhang L . (2024). Effect and mechanisms of soil functional groups in bacterial-enhanced cadmium contaminated soil phytoremediation. Environmental Technology and Innovation, 33: 103531

[23] Li Y , Xu R , Ma C , Yu J , Lei S , Han Q , Wang H . (2023). Potential functions of engineered nanomaterials in cadmium remediation in soil-plant system: a review. Environmental Pollution, 336: 122340

[24] Liu K , Guan X , Li C , Zhao K , Yang X , Fu R , Li Y , Yu F . (2022). Global perspectives and future research directions for the phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil: a knowledge mapping analysis from 2001 to 2020. Frontiers of Environmental Science and Engineering, 16(6): 73

[25] Lwin C S , Seo B H , Kim H U , Owens G , Kim K R . (2018). Application of soil amendments to contaminated soils for heavy metal immobilization and improved soil quality: a critical review. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 64(2): 156–167

[26] Mekahlia S , Bouzid B . (2009). Chitosan-Copper (II) complex as antibacterial agent: synthesis, characterization and coordinating bond- activity correlation study. Physics Procedia, 2(3): 1045–1053

[27] Ministryof Environmental ProtectionMinistryof LandResources (2014). Reports on China’s Soil Contamination Survey. Beijing: Ministry of Environmental Protection and Ministry of Land and Resources (in Chinese)

[28] Moulick D , Ghosh D , Mandal J , Bhowmick S , Mondal D , Choudhury S , Santra S C , Vithanage M , Biswas J K . (2023). A cumulative assessment of plant growth stages and selenium supplementation on arsenic and micronutrients accumulation in rice grains. Journal of Cleaner Production, 386: 135764

[29] Mousavi A , Pourakbar L , Siavash Moghaddam S , Popović-Djordjević J . (2021). The effect of the exogenous application of EDTA and maleic acid on tolerance, phenolic compounds, and cadmium phytoremediation by okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) exposed to Cd stress. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 9(4): 105456

[30] Mwelwa S , Chungu D , Tailoka F , Beesigamukama D , Tanga C . (2023). Biotransfer of heavy metals along the soil-plant-edible insect-human food chain in Africa. Science of the Total Environment, 881: 163150

[31] Najeeb U , Ahmad W , Zia M H , Zaffar M , Zhou W . (2017). Enhancing the lead phytostabilization in wetland plant Juncus effusus L. through somaclonal manipulation and EDTA enrichment. Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 10: S3310–S3317

[32] Nayeri S , Dehghanian Z , Asgari Lajayer B , Thomson A , Astatkie T , Price G W . (2023). CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genetically edited ornamental and aromatic plants: a promising technology in phytoremediation of heavy metals. Journal of Cleaner Production, 428: 139512

[33] Oberlintner A , Bajić M , Kalčíková G , Likozar B , Novak U . (2021). Biodegradability study of active chitosan biopolymer films enriched with Quercus polyphenol extract in different soil types. Environmental Technology & Innovation, 21: 101318

[34] Orienti I , Cerchiara T , Luppi B , Bigucci F , Zuccari G , Zecchi V . (2002). Influence of different chitosan salts on the release of sodium diclofenac in colon-specific delivery. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 238(1–2): 51–59

[35] Padilla-Rodríguez A , Codling E E . (2016). Potential of chitosan (chemically modified chitin) for extraction of lead-arsenate contaminated soils. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 47(13–14): 1650–1663

[36] Pereira F S , Lanfredi S , González E R P , Da Silva Agostini D L , Gomes H M , Dos Santos Medeiros R . (2017). Thermal and morphological study of chitosan metal complexes. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 129(1): 291–301

[37] Rathika R , Srinivasan P , Alkahtani J , Al-Humaid L A , Alwahibi M S , Mythili R , Selvankumar T . (2021). Influence of biochar and EDTA on enhanced phytoremediation of lead contaminated soil by Brassica juncea. Chemosphere, 271: 129513

[38] Rechberger M V , Zehetner F , Candra I N , Gerzabek M H . (2020). Impact of soil development on Cu sorption along gradients of soil age and moisture on the Galápagos Islands. Catena, 189: 104507

[39] Schaider L A , Parker D R , Sedlak D L . (2006). Uptake of EDTA-complexed Pb, Cd and Fe by solution- and sand-cultured Brassica juncea. Plant and Soil, 286(1–2): 377–391

[40] Shang C , Chai Y , Peng L , Shao J , Huang H , Chen A . (2023). Remediation of Cr(VI) contaminated soil by chitosan stabilized FeS composite and the changes in microorganism community. Chemosphere, 327: 138517

[41] Shi J , Zhao D , Ren F , Huang L . (2023). Spatiotemporal variation of soil heavy metals in China: the pollution status and risk assessment. Science of the Total Environment, 871: 161768

[42] Song J , Chen Y , Mi H , Xu R , Zhang W , Wang C , Rensing C , Wang Y . (2024). Prevalence of antibiotic and metal resistance genes in phytoremediated cadmium and zinc contaminated soil assisted by chitosan and Trichoderma harzianum. Environment International, 183: 108394

[43] Kumar S , Banerjee S , Ghosh S , Majumder S , Mandal J , Roy P K , Bhattacharyya P . (2024). Appraisal of pollution and health risks associated with coal mine contaminated soil using multimodal statistical and Fuzzy-TOPSIS approaches. Frontiers of Environmental Science and Engineering, 18(5): 60

[44] Suthar V , Memon K S , Mahmood-Ul-Hassan M . (2014). EDTA-enhanced phytoremediation of contaminated calcareous soils: heavy metal bioavailability, extractability, and uptake by maize and sesbania. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 186(6): 3957–3968

[45] Upadhyay U , Sreedhar I , Singh S A , Patel C M , Anitha K L . (2021). Recent advances in heavy metal removal by chitosan based adsorbents. Carbohydrate Polymers, 251: 117000

[46] WangGZhangSXuXZhongQZhangCJiaYLiTDengOLiY (2016). Heavy metal removal by GLDA washing: optimization, redistribution, recycling, and changes in soil fertility. Science of the Total Environment, 569–570: 557–568

[47] Wang J , Aghajani Delavar M . (2023). Techno-economic analysis of phytoremediation: a strategic rethinking. Science of the Total Environment, 902: 165949

[48] Xia Y , Qiu D , Lyv Z , Zhang J , Singh N , Shih K , Tang Y . (2023). Controlled sintering for cadmium stabilization by beneficially using the dredged river sediment. Frontiers of Environmental Science and Engineering, 17(5): 61

[49] Yang J , Yang J , Huang J . (2017). Role of co-planting and chitosan in phytoextraction of As and heavy metals by Pteris vittata and castor bean: a field case. Ecological Engineering, 109: 35–40

[50] Yang J , Xin X , Zhang X , Zhong X , Yang W , Ren G , Zhu A . (2023). Effects of soil physical and chemical properties on phosphorus adsorption-desorption in fluvo-aquic soil under conservation tillage. Soil and Tillage Research, 234: 105840

[51] Yang Z , Lu W , Long Y , Bao X , Yang Q . (2011). Assessment of heavy metals contamination in urban topsoil from Changchun City, China. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 108(1): 27–38

[52] Yu K , Ho J , Mccandlish E , Buckley B , Patel R , Li Z , Shapley N C . (2013). Copper ion adsorption by chitosan nanoparticles and alginate microparticles for water purification applications. Colloids and Surfaces. A, Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 425: 31–41

[53] Yu Q , Hu X , Ma J , Ye J , Sun W , Wang Q , Lin H . (2020). Effects of long-term organic material applications on soil carbon and nitrogen fractions in paddy fields. Soil & Tillage Research, 196: 104483

[54] Zhang H , Guo Q , Yang J , Ma J , Chen G , Chen T , Zhu G , Wang J , Zhang G , Wang X , Shao C . (2016). Comparison of chelates for enhancing Ricinus communis L. phytoremediation of Cd and Pb contaminated soil. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 133: 57–62

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press 2024