Biochar and zinc oxide nanoparticles partnership: a multi-faceted strategy to enhance rice productivity and remediate antimony polluted soils.
Tang H, Jiang W, Ma Y, Wang D
Phytoremediation
Rice paddies worldwide sit on soils contaminated by mining and industrial runoff, and the grains absorbing those toxins end up on your plate — this combination of biochar and nanoparticles offers a practical soil amendment strategy to break that chain.
Antimony is a toxic metal that sneaks into rice from polluted soil, stunting the plants and potentially harming people who eat the grain. Researchers tested mixing biochar (essentially charcoal made from organic matter) with tiny zinc oxide particles into contaminated soil, and found the combination cut the amount of antimony the rice absorbed by nearly 42% while also helping the plants grow stronger by activating their natural stress defenses. The treatment works by locking antimony in the soil so roots can't take it up, and by switching off the genes the plant uses to transport that metal internally.
Key Findings
BC + ZnO-NPs reduced soil antimony availability by 41.80% and decreased oxidative damage markers — hydrogen peroxide by 26.06% and electrolyte leakage by 25.68%.
The combined amendment increased iron plaque formation in rice roots by 63.60%, a physical barrier that immobilizes antimony before it can enter plant tissues.
BC + ZnO-NPs downregulated antimony transport genes (OsSMP and OsMTP1) while upregulating four antioxidant genes (OsAPx6, OsCAT, OsPOD, OsSOD), simultaneously reducing uptake and boosting plant resilience.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Adding biochar and zinc oxide nanoparticles to contaminated soil dramatically reduced antimony uptake in rice plants while boosting yields and activating the plant's own defense systems against toxic stress.
Abstract Preview
Antimony (Sb) is a toxic metalloid that poses a significant threat to living organisms and ecosystem sustainability. Biochar (BC) and zinc oxide nano-particles (ZnO-NPs) are promising amendments to...
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