Remediation of Cd-, Pb-, Cu-, and Zn-contaminated soil using cow bone meal and oyster shell meal

To understand the environmental friendliness and high efficiency of organic materials during remediating soil polluted by heavy metals by assessing the feedback of soil ecosystems after organic materials were put into polluted soil. Incubation research was undertaken to examine the impact of amendments ranging from 0.1% to 3.0% (w/w), including single cow bone meal (BM), single oyster shell meal (OS), and a composite of 50% BM mixed with 50% OS (BO) on soil biochemical properties. The findings revealed that the implementation of BM and OS increased soil pH, the content of certain nutrients, and the activities of catalase (S-CAT), and urease (S-UE) while decreasing the availability of Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn. Overall, the immobilization effect on Cd and Zn after a 108-day incubation was ranked as follows: BM group > OS group >= BO group, and the order of the immobilization effect of Pb and Cu was OS group > BO group > BM group. In addition, the dominant bacterial community flora shifted toward alleviating the re-dissolution of metal ions from the soil and promoting nutrient recycling in soil within 108 days of cultivation. RNA analyses showed that the strongest determinants for microbial communities between BM application and OS application at the genus level were soil pH, CEC, and heavy metal (Cd, Pb). These results increase our understanding of the leaching performance of Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn and the evolution trend of microorganisms when organic amendments remediate heavy metal contaminated soil.

Automated summary

The application of BM and OS can increase soil pH, certain nutrient content, and decrease the availability of heavy metals, while promoting the shift in dominant bacterial community towards alleviating the re-dissolution of metal ions. RNA analyses identified soil pH, CEC, and heavy metals as key factors influencing microbial communities under BM and OS application.