Engineered charcoal helps rice fight metal and plastic pollution
Hassan MU, Ahmed W, Barbanti L, Yuxin H, Shujian Z
Phytoremediation
If you grow food anywhere near old industrial land, mining runoff, or roadside soil, this points to a soil amendment that could pull toxic metal and plastic fragments out of your harvest instead of onto your dinner plate.
Scientists contaminated rice paddy soil with a toxic metal called antimony and with microplastics, both of which stunt plant growth and can end up in food. Adding a specially processed charcoal, made with tiny engineered particles, restored the rice plants' health, cut the amount of antimony that ended up in the grain by about a third, and boosted yield by more than half. The charcoal worked by feeding beneficial soil bacteria and switching on the plant's own internal defense systems.
Key Findings
Micron-engineered biochar reduced soil antimony content and plant uptake by an average of 31% while increasing soil nutrient (N, P, K) content and uptake by 72%
Grain yield increased by 57% and antioxidant activity rose by 93% on average with biochar treatment compared to contaminated soil without it
Biochar boosted beneficial soil bacteria (Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteriodota, Proteobacteria) and antimony-degrading genes, while upregulating plant stress-response pathways including MAPK signaling and ABC transporters
chevron_right Technical Summary
Rice grown in soil polluted with both antimony and microplastics recovers much of its yield and nutrient uptake when farmers add a specially engineered biochar, which also boosts helpful soil bacteria and cuts pollutant levels in the grain.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Micron-engineered biochar mitigates antimony and microplastics toxicity by reshaping soil microbiome and plant transcriptomic responses.
Antimony (Sb) and microplastics (MPs) are environmental threats for plants and human health. Antimony is known to impair plant growth, but the combined effects of Sb and MPs on plant and soil trait...
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