Mitigating the Toxic Effects of Chromium on Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) Seed Germination and Seedling Growth by Using Biochar and Polymer-Modified Biochar in Contaminated Soil

Muhammad I. Rafique, Munir Ahmad (), Mohammad I. Al-Wabel, Jahangir Ahmad and Abdullah S. Al-Farraj
Additional contact information
Muhammad I. Rafique: Soil Sciences Department, College of Food & Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Munir Ahmad: Soil Sciences Department, College of Food & Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Mohammad I. Al-Wabel: Soil Sciences Department, College of Food & Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Jahangir Ahmad: Soil Sciences Department, College of Food & Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Abdullah S. Al-Farraj: Soil Sciences Department, College of Food & Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-15

Abstract: The present study was conducted to investigate the potential influences of biochar in mitigating the phytotoxic effects of hexavalent chromium (Cr VI ) on the germination of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). Biochar (JBC) was produced from Jujube ( Ziziphus jujube L.) wood waste at three different pyrolysis temperatures (300 °C, 500 °C and 700 °C), which was later polymerized (JPBC) via the solution-polymerization method. Phytotoxicity of Cr VI was induced to wheat seeds at variable Cr VI application rates (5, 10, 20, 40 mg L −1 ). Applied Cr VI concentrations confined the seed germination and seedling growth in order of: 5 < 10 < 20 < 40 mg L −1 . The application of JBCs (0.2 g per petri plate) resulted in a 150% increase in shoot length, while dry biomass was increased by 250% with JPBCs application. Uptake of Cr VI was significantly lower in JBC-300 (7.74 μg/seedling) and JPBC-300 (1.13 μg/seedling) treatments, as compared to control (13.24 μg/seedling), at the highest stress level (40 mg L −1 ). Therefore, the findings of the current study showed that JBCs and JPBCs performed excellently in improving seedling growth while JPBCs performed more efficiently than pristine JBCs in mitigating Cr VI phytotoxicity and availability.

Keywords: biochar; chromium; phytotoxicity; polymer-modified biochar; remediation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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