Effectiveness of Biochar on Cd Migration and Bioaccumulation in a Multi-Species Alkaline Fluvo-Aquic Soil System

Li, Dongqin; Lai, Changhong; He, Hongzhi; Wen, Dian; Cao, Yiran; Wu, Zhichao; Li, Furong; Shi, Hanzhi; Wang, Xu; Chen, Guikui

doi:10.3390/agronomy15061276

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Open AccessArticle

Effectiveness of Biochar on Cd Migration and Bioaccumulation in a Multi-Species Alkaline Fluvo-Aquic Soil System

by

Dongqin Li

^1,2,

Changhong Lai

²,

Hongzhi He

²

,

Dian Wen

¹,

Yiran Cao

¹,

Zhichao Wu

¹,

Furong Li

¹,

Hanzhi Shi

¹,

Xu Wang

^1,* and

Guikui Chen

^2,*

¹

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Monitoring Technology for Agro-Products, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China

²

College of Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Agronomy 2025, 15(6), 1276; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061276

Submission received: 23 April 2025 / Revised: 20 May 2025 / Accepted: 21 May 2025 / Published: 22 May 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Pollution: Toxicology and Remediation Strategies)

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Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in alkaline soils threatens wheat safety in northern China. This study evaluates biochar’s dual role in Cd remediation and ecological trade-offs using a multi-species soil system (wheat–earthworm–soil). Biochar (Pennisetum hydridum) was applied to Cd-contaminated alkaline fluvo-aquic soils under controlled conditions. The results revealed that biochar increased soil pH (8.6–9.6) and reduced CaCl₂-extractable Cd by 30–45% in the topsoil (0–20 cm), lowering shoot Cd accumulation in wheat by 42–47%. However, alkaline stress from biochar suppressed wheat biomass by 42%, while earthworm Cd concentrations rose 30–45%, correlating with reduced survival (75% vs. 85–87% in controls). Structural equation modeling identified pH-driven chemisorption as the primary Cd immobilization mechanism, yet biochar amplified ecotoxicity to soil fauna. These findings highlight the need for balanced strategies to optimize biochar’s benefits in alkaline agroecosystems.

Keywords: cadmium; biochar; earthworm; wheat; multi-species soil system (MS·3)

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MDPI and ACS Style

Li, D.; Lai, C.; He, H.; Wen, D.; Cao, Y.; Wu, Z.; Li, F.; Shi, H.; Wang, X.; Chen, G. Effectiveness of Biochar on Cd Migration and Bioaccumulation in a Multi-Species Alkaline Fluvo-Aquic Soil System. Agronomy 2025, 15, 1276. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061276

AMA Style

Li D, Lai C, He H, Wen D, Cao Y, Wu Z, Li F, Shi H, Wang X, Chen G. Effectiveness of Biochar on Cd Migration and Bioaccumulation in a Multi-Species Alkaline Fluvo-Aquic Soil System. Agronomy. 2025; 15(6):1276. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061276

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Dongqin, Changhong Lai, Hongzhi He, Dian Wen, Yiran Cao, Zhichao Wu, Furong Li, Hanzhi Shi, Xu Wang, and Guikui Chen. 2025. "Effectiveness of Biochar on Cd Migration and Bioaccumulation in a Multi-Species Alkaline Fluvo-Aquic Soil System" Agronomy 15, no. 6: 1276. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061276

APA Style

Li, D., Lai, C., He, H., Wen, D., Cao, Y., Wu, Z., Li, F., Shi, H., Wang, X., & Chen, G. (2025). Effectiveness of Biochar on Cd Migration and Bioaccumulation in a Multi-Species Alkaline Fluvo-Aquic Soil System. Agronomy, 15(6), 1276. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061276

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Effectiveness of Biochar on Cd Migration and Bioaccumulation in a Multi-Species Alkaline Fluvo-Aquic Soil System

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