Abstract
Purpose
Tobacco stems collected from tobacco cultivation fields were pyrolyzed to produce value-added biochar that was used to remediate metal-contaminated soil which was then used for tobacco cultivation. The feasibility of the scheme was evaluated.
Materials and methods
A pot experiment was carried out to assess the impacts of tobacco stem-derived biochar (TSB 0, 2, 4, and 8%) on tobacco growth and leaf yields, soil properties, the availability of soil Cr, Cu, and Pb, and the accumulation of the three metals in tobacco plants.
Results and discussion
Soil pH, organic matter content, and available phosphorus content increased with increasing application of TSB from 2 to 8% compared to the control (no biochar addition). In contrast, the acid-soluble and the reducible fractions of soil Cu and the reducible fraction of soil Pb and Cr decreased markedly, and the oxidizable fraction of the metals increased significantly with increasing application of TSB. This indicates that adding more TSB led to increasing immobilization of all three metals in the soil. Furthermore, both the number of tobacco leaves and the foliar biomass increased significantly with the addition of TSB to the soil. Based on our data, 4% is an economically suitable application rate of TSB for decreasing metal accumulation in plants and increasing tobacco leaf yields.
Conclusions
The results indicate that it is feasible to use biochar derived from tobacco stem waste to remediate metal-contaminated soils which can then be used for tobacco cultivation. This is very useful in the recycling of the waste biomass and for remediation of soil metal pollution.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.References
Abdus S, Saqib B, Imran K, Muhammad SR, Muhammad AC, Xinwei F, Jun Z, Hongqing H (2018) Biochars immobilize lead and copper in naturally contaminated soil. Environ Eng Sci 35:1–12
Ahmad M, Rajapaksha AU, Lim JE, Zhang M, Bolan N, Mohan D, Vithanage M, Lee SS, Ok YS (2014) Biochar as a sorbent for contaminant management in soil and water: a review. Chemosphere 99:19–33
Arain M, Kazi T, Jamali M, Afridi H, Jalbani N, Sarfraz R, Baig J, Kandhro G, Memon M (2008) Time saving modified BCR sequential extraction procedure for the fraction of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in sediment samples of polluted lake. J Hazard Mater 160:235–239
Cai J, Li B, Chen C, Wang J, Zhao M, Zhang K (2016) Hydrothermal carbonization of tobacco stalk for fuel application. Bioresour Technol 220:305–311
Carter MR, Gregorich EG (2007) Soil sampling and methods of analysis. CRC Press, Bacon Rouge
Chen F, Hu Y, Dou X, Chen D, Dai X (2015) Chemical forms of heavy metals in pyrolytic char of heavy metal-implanted sewage sludge and their impacts on leaching behaviors. J Anal Appl Pyrolysis 116:152–160
Chen D, Guo H, Li R, Li L, Pan G, Chang A, Joseph S (2016) Low uptake affinity cultivars with biochar to tackle Cd-tainted rice: a field study over four rice seasons in Hunan, China. Sci Total Environ 541:1489–1498
Demisie W, Liu Z, Zhang M (2014) Effect of biochar on carbon fractions and enzyme activity of red soil. Catena 121:214–221
Deng W, Van Zwieten L, Lin Z, Liu X, Sarmah AK, Wang H (2017) Sugarcane bagasse biochars impact respiration and greenhouse gas emissions from a latosol. J Soils Sediments 17:632–640
Dong D, Feng Q, McGrouther K, Yang M, Wang H, Wu W (2015) Effects of biochar amendment on rice growth and nitrogen retention in a waterlogged paddy field. J Soils Sediments 15:153–162
Houben D, Evrard L, Sonnet P (2013) Beneficial effects of biochar application to contaminated soils on the bioavailability of Cd, Pb and Zn and the biomass production of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). Biomass Bioenergy 57:196–204
Huang H, Yuan X (2016) The migration and transformation behaviors of heavy metals during the hydrothermal treatment of sewage sludge. Bioresour Technol 200:991–998
Hussain M, Farooq M, Nawaz A, Al-Sadi AM, Solaiman ZM, Alghamdi SS, Ammara U, Ok YS, Siddique KH (2016) Biochar for crop production: potential benefits and risks. J Soils Sediments 17:685–716
Jeffery S, Verheijen FGA, van der Velde M, Bastos AC (2011) A quantitative review of the effects of biochar application to soils on crop productivity using meta-analysis. Agric Ecosyst Environ 144:175–187
Jiang L, Yang X, Ye H, Shi W, Jiang Y (2002) Effect of copper refining on spatial distribution of heavy metal in surrounding soils and crops. J Zhejiang Univ (Agric Life Sci) 28:689–693
Jiang J, Xu R-K, Jiang T-Y, Li Z (2012) Immobilization of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) by the addition of rice straw derived biochar to a simulated polluted Ultisol. J Hazard Mater 229-230:145–150
Jiang C, Dong J, Xu J, Shen J, Xue B, Zu C (2015) Effects of soil amendment on soil pH, plant growth and heavy metals accumulation of flue-cured tobacco in acid soil. Soil 47:171–176
Jin J, Wang M, Cao Y, Wu S, Liang P, Li Y, Zhang J, Zhang J, Wong MH, Shan S, Christie P (2017) Cumulative effects of bamboo sawdust addition on pyrolysis of sewage sludge: biochar properties and environmental risk from metals. Bioresour Technol 228:218–226
Laird DA (2008) The charcoal vision: a win–win–win scenario for simultaneously producing bioenergy, permanently sequestering carbon, while improving soil and water quality. Agron J 100:178–181
Larson C (2014) China gets serious about its pollutant-laden soil. Science 343:1415–1416
Lee CS-l, Li X, Shi W, Cheung SC-n, Thornton I (2006) Metal contamination in urban, suburban, and country park soils of Hong Kong: a study based on GIS and multivariate statistics. Sci Total Environ 356:45–61
Li Y, Hu S, Chen J, Müller K, Li Y, Fu W, Lin Z, Wang H (2018) Effects of biochar application in forest ecosystems on soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions: a review. J Soils Sediments 18:546–563
Liu Y, Lonappan L, Brar SK, Yang S (2018) Impact of biochar amendment in agricultural soils on the sorption, desorption, and degradation of pesticides: a review. Sci Total Environ 645:60–70
Lu K, Yang X, Gielen G, Bolan N, Ok YS, Niazi NK, Xu S, Yuan G, Chen X, Zhang X, Liu D, Song Z, Liu X, Wang H (2017) Effect of bamboo and rice straw biochars on the mobility and redistribution of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in contaminated soil. J Environ Manag 186:285–292
Ma L, Xu R, Jiang J (2010) Adsorption and desorption of Cu(II) and Pb(II) in paddy soils cultivated for various years in subtropical China. J Environ Sci 22:689–695
Niazi NK, Bibi I, Shahid M, Ok YS, Shaheen SM, Rinklebe J, Wang H, Murtaza B, Islam E, Farrakh Nawaz M, Lüttge A (2018) Arsenic removal by Japanese oak wood biochar in aqueous solutions and well water: investigating arsenic fate using integrated spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Sci Total Environ 621:1642–1651
Nie C, Yang X, Niazi NK, Xu X, Wen Y, Rinklebe J, Ok YS, Xu S, Wang H (2018) Impact of sugarcane bagasse-derived biochar on heavy metal availability and microbial activity: a field study. Chemosphere 200:274–282
O'Connor D, Peng T, Zhang J, Tsang DCW, Alessi DS, Shen Z, Bolan NS, Hou D (2018) Biochar application for the remediation of heavy metal polluted land: a review of in situ field trials. Sci Total Environ 619–620:815–826
Peng X, Deng Y, Peng Y, Yue K (2017) Effects of biochar addition on toxic element concentrations in plants: a meta-analysis. Sci Total Environ 616-617:970–977
Qi F, Kuppusamy S, Naidu R, Bolan NS, Ok YS, Lamb D, Li Y, Yu L, Semple KT, Wang H (2017) Pyrogenic carbon and its role in contaminant immobilization in soils. Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol 47:795–876
Qin P, Wang H, Yang X, He L, Müller K, Shaheen SM, Xu S, Rinklebe J, Tsang DCW, Ok YS, Bolan N, Song Z, Che L, Xu X (2018) Bamboo- and pig-derived biochars reduce leaching losses of dibutyl phthalate, cadmium, and lead from co-contaminated soils. Chemosphere 198:450–459
Rinklebe J, Shaheen SM (2014) Assessing the mobilization of cadmium, lead, and nickel using a seven-step sequential extraction technique in contaminated floodplain soil profiles along the central Elbe River, Germany. Water Air Soil Pollut 225:2039
Rinklebe J, Shaheen SM (2017) Geochemical distribution of Co, Cu, Ni, and Zn in soil profiles of Fluvisols, Luvisols, Gleysols, and Calcisols originating from Germany and Egypt. Geoderma 307:122–138
Rizwan MS, Imtiaz M, Chhajro MA, Huang G, Fu Q, Zhu J, Aziz O, Hu H (2016) Influence of pyrolytic and non-pyrolytic rice and castor straws on the immobilization of Pb and Cu in contaminated soil. Environ Technol 37:2679–2686
Shaheen SM, Kwon EE, Biswas JK, Tack FMG, Ok YS, Rinklebe J (2017) Arsenic, chromium, molybdenum, and selenium: geochemical fractions and potential mobilization in riverine soil profiles originating from Germany and Egypt. Chemosphere 180:553–563
Spokas KA, Cantrell KB, Novak JM, Archer DW, Ippolito JA, Collins HP, Boateng AA, Lima IM, Lamb MC, McAloon AJ (2012) Biochar: a synthesis of its agronomic impact beyond carbon sequestration. J Environ Qual 41:973–989
Uchimiya M, Lima IM, Klasson KT, Wartelle LH (2010) Contaminant immobilization and nutrient release by biochar soil amendment: roles of natural organic matter. Chemosphere 80:935–940
Ure AM (1991) Trace element speciation in soils, soil extracts and solutions. Microchim Acta 104:49–57
Ure AM, Quevauviller P, Muntau H, Griepink B (1993) Speciation of heavy metals in soils and sediments. An account of the improvement and harmonization of extraction techniques undertaken under the auspices of the BCR of the Commission of the European Communities. Int J Environ Anal Chem 51:135–151
Wang S, Dai G, Yang H, Luo Z (2017) Lignocellulosic biomass pyrolysis mechanism: a state-of-the-art review. Prog Energy Combust Sci 62:33–86
Xiao X, Chen B, Chen Z, Zhu L, Schnoor JL (2018) Insight into multiple and multi-level structures of biochars and their potential environmental applications: a critical review. Environ Sci Technol 52:5027–5047
Xie T, Reddy KR, Wang C, Yargicoglu E, Spokas K (2015) Characteristics and applications of biochar for environmental remediation: a review. Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol 45:939–969
Yang X, Huang H, Wang L, Shen Y, Lu K, Han X, Wang H (2016a) Pyrolysis temperature optimization of biochar from tobacco stalk and its physicochemical characterization. J Zhejiang Univ (Agric Life Sci) 42:245–255
Yang X, Liu J, McGrouther K, Huang H, Lu K, Guo X, He L, Lin X, Che L, Ye Z, Wang H (2016b) Effect of biochar on the extractability of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) and enzyme activity in soil. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23:974–984
Yang X, Lu K, McGrouther K, Che L, Hu G, Wang Q, Liu X, Shen L, Huang H, Ye Z, Wang H (2017) Bioavailability of Cd and Zn in soils treated with biochars derived from tobacco stalk and dead pigs. J Soils Sediments 17:751–762
Yuan Y, Bolan N, Prévoteau A, Vithanage M, Biswas JK, Ok YS, Wang H (2017) Applications of biochar in redox-mediated reactions. Bioresour Technol 246:271–281
Zhang X, Zhang X, Zhong T, Jiang H (2014) Spatial distribution and accumulation of heavy metal in arable land soil of China. Environ Sci 35:692–703
Zhang J, Wang M, Cao Y, Liang P, Wu S, Leung AOW, Christie P (2017) Replacement of mineral fertilizers with anaerobically digested pig slurry in paddy fields: assessment of plant growth and grain quality. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:8916–8923
Zhao F, Ma Y, Zhu Y, Tang Z, McGrath SP (2015) Soil contamination in China: current status and mitigation strategies. Environ Sci Technol 49:750–759
Zhao B, Xu R, Ma F, Li Y, Wang L (2016) Effects of biochars derived from chicken manure and rape straw on speciation and phytoavailability of Cd to maize in artificially contaminated loess soil. J Environ Manag 184:569–574
Funding
This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21777148, 21577131, 41501341), the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (LQ17B070001, LY16D010011), the Key Science and Technology Special Project of Zhejiang Province (2015C02037, 2015C03019), the Techniques Research and Social Development Project of Zhejiang Province (2015C33050) and the Early Career Scheme Proposal, The Education University of Hong Kong (RG 38/2017-2018R).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
Responsible editor: Daniel C.W. Tsang
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, J., Zhang, J., Wang, M. et al. Effect of tobacco stem-derived biochar on soil metal immobilization and the cultivation of tobacco plant. J Soils Sediments 19, 2313–2321 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-018-02226-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-018-02226-x