Effect of Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate Combined with Thermally Activated Nano Serpentine and Thermally Activated Nano Zeolite on Cadmium in Soil

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The manuscript “Effect of potassium dihydrogen phosphate combined with thermally activated nano serpentine and thermally activated nano zeolite on cadmium in soil” is well-designed and deserves attention. The topic is relevant. However, some issues should be improved before publication.

1. L. 13. “Liu and Wang contribute equality to this work.”. This should be moved to Authors contribution statement.

2. In introduction, the authors mentioned that Cd is the most dangerous heavy meatal and carcinogen. After that the authors describe Cd circulation in environment. I recommend to expand the first paragraph and to point out the mechanism of the effect of Cd on human organisms:

– red blood cells/anemia (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111683)

– periodontal disease/bone and cartilage effect (https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics7020031)

– liver and kidney damage (https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16020274)

etc.

3. Within each equipment of reagent the authors should mention manufacture and its location (city, country)

4.The authors should define all abbreviations at the first time used in the text. Especially in Abstract.

5. Section 2.4. What test or criteria the authors used to justify statistical significance?

6. Figure 2. The X-, Y-axis are not readable. The authors should increase image clarity. The same for figure 3. Figure 1 is readable, but also better be improved.

7. Discussion will be better perceived if the authors will add references to corresponding figures.

8. There are too many old sources in Reference list. It is recommended to revise used sources and refresh them where is possible.

Generally, I found this manuscript interesting and concise. Abstract and Conclusion contain the main data obtained. I suggest to reconsider the manuscript after revision.  

Author Response

Reviewer1：

The manuscript “Effect of potassium dihydrogen phosphate combined with thermally activated nano serpentine and thermally activated nano zeolite on cadmium in soil” is well-designed and deserves attention. The topic is relevant. However, some issues should be improved before publication.

1. 13. “Liu and Wang contribute equality to this work.”. This should be moved to Authors contribution statement.

Thank you for your remind. I have modified this question (Line 13).

2. In introduction, the authors mentioned that Cd is the most dangerous heavy meatal and carcinogen. After that the authors describe Cd circulation in environment. I recommend to expand the first paragraph and to point out the mechanism of the effect of Cd on human organisms:

– red blood cells/anemia (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111683)

– periodontal disease/bone and cartilage effect (https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics7020031)

– liver and kidney damage (https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16020274)

etc.

Thanks a lot for your expand. Please see Line 29-31 for expanded sentences and related references [2], [3], [4].

3. Within each equipment of reagent the authors should mention manufacture and its location (city, country)

Thanks! Please refer Line 87, 122, 124, 126 in manuscript.

4.The authors should define all abbreviations at the first time used in the text. Especially in Abstract.

Thanks! Changes have been made in Line 28, 64. Please check.

5. Section 2.4. What test or criteria the authors used to justify statistical significance?

Thanks. Duncan test has been used in our paper. Modification is in Line128.

6. Figure 2. The X-, Y-axis are not readable. The authors should increase image clarity. The same for figure 3. Figure 1 is readable, but also better be improved.

Thanks. Fig 1, Fig 2 and Fig 3 (x-y axis) have been modified. Please check.

7. 7. Discussion will be better perceived if the authors will add references to corresponding figures.

Thanks! The corresponding figs are added in Line 202,217. Please check.

8. There are too many old sources in Reference list. It is recommended to revise used sources and refresh them where is possible.

Many thanks. We added [2], [3], [4]. The old reference [9], [15], [16], [19] have been replaced to [12], [18], [19], [22]. Please check.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments for Author,

This paper is aim to investigate the Effect of potassium dihydrogen phosphate combined with thermally activated nano serpentine and thermally activated nano zeolite on cadmium in soil"

Generally, this paper is scope of journal and well organized. However, Especially, some of sentences is needed to rephrases and the other issue is needed to support reduce heavy metal toxicity in the soil environment.

Please rephrase these below sentences

"A Cd is recognized as the first among 12 dangerous chemical substances of global signif29 icance by the United Nations Program [1], and as the first carcinogen by the Interna30 tional Agency for Research on Cancer [2]"

 "How to reduce 41 this pollution becomes a hot spot in recent years"

"As we all know, nanomaterials and technologies are the most promis59 ing materials and technologies in the 21st century which could carried out to increase its 60 specific surface area and accelerate the suction rate of heavy metals. Although potassium 61 dihy-drogen phosphate, serpentine and zeolite applied alone could react with heavy 62 metals and stabilize heavy metal Cd, there is rarely reports about phosphate combined 63 with zeolite and serpentine, and an efficient and environment-friendly technology is still 64 urgent."

In addition to this, please extend this section regardin remediation technic expecially use some clay material not only cd but also other heavy metal polluted soil. to improve, please support with these refs https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109594, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125611,,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.05.082 and https://doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2017.1410542, ,https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2021.1929826, https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.13490. Please incorporate all of them. 

The figures could be coloured because some of lettering is unclear. 

Please Extend discussion section and divide some subtitle. 

Best Regards

Author Response

Review 2:

This paper is aim to investigate the Effect of potassium dihydrogen phosphate combined with thermally activated nano serpentine and thermally activated nano zeolite on cadmium in soil"

Generally, this paper is scope of journal and well organized. However, Especially, some of sentences is needed to rephrases and the other issue is needed to support reduce heavy metal toxicity in the soil environment.

Please rephrase these below sentences

"A Cd is recognized as the first among 12 dangerous chemical substances of global signif29 icance by the United Nations Program [1], and as the first carcinogen by the Interna30 tional Agency for Research on Cancer [2]"

Thanks, modification is in Line 28 of Manuscript. Please check.

 "How to reduce 41 this pollution becomes a hot spot in recent years"

Thanks, change is in Line 42 of Manuscript. Please check.

"As we all know, nanomaterials and technologies are the most promis59 ing materials and technologies in the 21st century which could carried out to increase its 60 specific surface area and accelerate the suction rate of heavy metals. Although potassium 61 dihy-drogen phosphate,

 serpentine and zeolite applied alone could react with heavy 62 metals and stabilize heavy metal Cd, there is rarely reports about phosphate combined 63 with zeolite and serpentine, and an efficient and environment-friendly technology is still 64 urgent."

Thanks. Modifications are in Line 61-67. Please check.

In addition to this, please extend this section regardin remediation technic expecially use some clay material not only cd but also other heavy metal polluted soil. to improve, please support with these refs https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109594, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125611,,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.05.082 and https://doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2017.1410542, ,https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2021.1929826, https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.13490. Please incorporate all of them.

Thanks. The extend is in Line 50-51. We replaced the Reference 18, 19. Please check.

The figures could be coloured because some of lettering is unclear.

Thanks. Fig 1, Fig 2 and Fig 3 have been modified to be more readable. Please check.

Please Extend discussion section and divide some subtitle.

Thanks. The extends are in Discussion section. Please check the manuscript.

And We divided Discussion into 2 subtitles, 4.1 in Line 200 and 4.2 in Line 208. Please check.

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

The authors considered all my comments but with different effectiveness.  Thus, L. 13 was reformulated, although I recommended to state it in Authors Contribution section. However I dont think this should influence on decision and can be corrected on pre-proof stage. 

Another issue that should be corrected is added references (L. 29-42). The sentences are unclear. I can suggest other formulation: 

... it can cause a damage of red blood cells and lead to anemia [2], can be a reason of periodontal disease or induce local bone, cartilage [3], liver and kidney destruction [4], etc. Cadmium also declared as the first carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on cancer [5].

I would recommend publication of this manuscript when the authors correct mentioned issues. 

Author Response

Reviewer 1：

The authors considered all my comments but with different effectiveness.  Thus, L. 13 was reformulated, although I recommended to state it in Authors Contribution section. However I dont think this should influence on decision and can be corrected on pre-proof stage.

Thanks! I have change in Line 5, Line 13 and Authors Contribution section (Line 298). Please check.

Another issue that should be corrected is added references (L. 29-42). The sentences are unclear. I can suggest other formulation:

... it can cause a damage of red blood cells and lead to anemia [2], can be a reason of periodontal disease or induce local bone, cartilage [3], liver and kidney destruction [4], etc. Cadmium also declared as the first carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on cancer [5].

I would recommend publication of this manuscript when the authors correct mentioned issues.

Thanks! I have modified the sentence in Line 29-32. Please check.

Reviewer 2 Report

Author improved paper , now the paper could be accepted for the publication.

Best regards

Author Response

Author improved paper , now the paper could be accepted for the publication.

Many thanks about your reviewing.