Evaluation of Cadmium Bioavailability in Soils Using Diffusive Gradients in Thin Film Technique and Traditional Methods

The developed technique of diffusive gradients in thin film( DGT) has been suggested as a promising tool for evaluation of cadmium( Cd) availability in soils,but there exists considerable debate on its suitability. In this study,Cd bioavailability in soils was systemically investigated by comparing this technique with seven traditional methods, including soil solution concentration and six commonly used extraction methods( HAc,EDTA,Na c,NH4Ac,CaCl2 and MgCl2). Two typical plants( wheat and maize) were examined for Cd uptake. Maize was more sensitive to increasing exposure to Cd in soils than wheat when the added amounts of Cd ranged from 3. 5 to 5. 0 mg · kg-1,accompanied by the significant decreases of shoot and root biomasses. Cd concentrations in shoots and roots of two plants increased continuously with increasing levels of Cd in soils. Cd uptake was higher in wheat than that in maize. The bioavailable concentrations of Cd measured by all methods increased nearly linearly with increasing addition of Cd in soils. Positive correlations were observed between various bioavailable indicators of Cd in soils and Cd concentrations in two plants. The extractable Cd by six chemical extractants was considerably higher for maize than for wheat,while the DGT-measured and soil solution concentrations of Cd were lower for maize than for wheat,following the same trend as plant Cd uptake. The results imply that DGT measurement can effectively predict the bioavailable levels of Cd in soil solutions and that it is an ideal tool for prediction of Cd bioavailability in soils.

Surfactant Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate Effect on Soil Cd Fractions and Cd Distribution in Soybean Plants in a Pot Experiment

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of an anionic surfactant linear alkylbenzene sulfonate(LAS) application on cadmium(Cd)fractions in soils and Cd distribution in different tissues of soybean(Glycine max)plants as well as soil pH.Soil samples were treated with three levels of Cd(0,5,and 10 mg kg^(-1))and five levels of LAS(0,5, 15,50,and 100 mg L^(-1)).Results indicated that compared to the control soils(no Cd and no LAS treatment),soil pH increased and available Cd decreased in the soil treated with external Cd and watered with LAS solutions.Meanwhile, soil exchangeable Cd and Cd bound to carbonates decreased;Cd bound to amorphous iron and manganese oxides and Cd bound to organic matter increased.In addition,LAS application could reduce enrichment of Cd in soybean plants, resulting in decreased Cd in the soybean plants.Thus,suitable LAS application could decrease bioavailability and mobility of soil Cd.

Effects of soil amendments, foliar sprayings of silicon and selenium and their combinations on the reduction of cadmium accumulation in rice

Agricultural soil contamination by cadmium (Cd) is becoming one of the most serious environmental issues and public concerns. In this study, factorial arrangements of treatments were designed to explore the effects of two soil amendments, sodium sulfide-biofuel ash (SSBA) and lime (0.1%), and three foliar applications, silicon (Si, 2.5 mmol L-1), selenium (Se, 40 mg L-1), and their combination (SS), on Cd reduction in rice (Oryza sativa L.) in a pot experiment, which were then verified in a field experiment. Compared with the control without amendment but with spraying of deionized water, both SSBA and lime significantly reduced concentrations of CaCl2-extractable Cd in soil by 30%–39% and 31%–40% and Cd in brown rice by 44%–63% and 53%–72% in the pot and field experiments, respectively. Foliar Si, Se, and SS applications significantly reduced Cd accumulation in brown rice by 62%–64%, 72%–83%, and 39%–73%, respectively, increased rice grain yield, and improved antioxidant enzyme activities in rice leaves but with different trends in the pot and field experiments. Combinations of SSBA and lime with Si, Se, and SS had a non-significant synergistic effect on Cd reduction in brown rice compared to only foliar spraying or soil amendment in both pot and field experiments, although SSBA + Se and SSBA + Si reduced Cd concentration in brown rice by 16%–34% and 14%–24% compared to only foliar Si and Se and soil SSBA applications, respectively. Soil lime application and foliar Si spraying were the most cost-effective strategies to reduce Cd accumulation in brown rice in the field and pot experiments, respectively. Although soil amendments and foliar treatments were individually effective, their combinations failed to generate a significant synergistic reduction of Cd concentration in brown rice.

Environmentally relevant concentrations of aminopolycarboxylate chelating agents mobilize Cd from humic acid

Although Cd is a pollutant of public health relevance,many dietary sources from which it can be absorbed into human tissues remain unknown.While it is well established that the biogeochemical cycle of Cd involves its complexation with environment-derived ligands（e.g.,humic acids,HAs） and anthropogenic ones（e.g.,chelating agents,CAs）,the interaction of Cd with both of these ligands is less well understood.To gain insight,a HA–Cd complex was injected on a size-exclusion chromatography（SEC） column coupled on-line with a flame atomic absorption spectrometer（FAAS） using 10 mmol/L Tris buffer（pH 8.0） as the mobile phase.This approach allowed us to observe the intact HA–Cd complex and the retention behavior of Cd as a function of 2–20 μmol/L concentrations of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid（EDTA）,diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid（DTPA） or methylglycinediacetic acid（MGDA） that were added to the mobile phase.An increase of the retention time of Cd was indicative of a partial or complete abstraction of Cd from HA.Our results revealed that all CAs abstracted Cd from the HA–Cd complex at concentrations of 5 μmol/L,while MGDA and DTPA were effective at 2 μmol/L.The bioavailability of some of the on-column formed CA–Cd complexes explains the previously reported increased accumulation of Cd in periphyton in the ecosystem downstream of wastewater treatment plants.In addition,our results imply that the use of effluents which contain CAs and Cd for the irrigation of food crops can introduce Cd into the food supply and compromise food safety.