Modified peanut shell charcoal boosts selenium, blocks cadmium in rice
Wu R, Wei J, Zhang W, Gan J, Gao L
Phytoremediation
If you grow anything in soil near old industrial sites or just want to understand how soil amendments can selectively feed plants good minerals while locking out toxic ones, this biochar trick shows the chemistry is more controllable than you'd think.
Researchers took peanut shells, turned them into charcoal, and coated it with zirconium and manganese minerals to create a soil additive for rice fields that are contaminated with cadmium but naturally rich in selenium. The treated charcoal locked up the toxic cadmium using iron-rust-like barriers that form on rice roots, while a separate chemical process freed up more selenium for the plant to absorb. The result was rice grain with 36% more selenium (mostly in healthy organic forms) and 32% less cadmium, showing one soil fix can tackle two opposite problems at once.
Key Findings
ZM@PSB (zirconium-manganese modified peanut shell biochar) reduced bioavailable cadmium in soil by 24.37-44.61% through complexation and precipitation
High-dose application increased rice grain selenium concentration by 35.88%, with organic selenium forms (SeCys and SeMet) reaching up to 90.55% of total selenium
Grain cadmium was reduced by 32.18%, aided by root iron plaque formation that blocked cadmium translocation while facilitating selenium uptake
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists created a special charcoal additive from peanut shells that helps rice plants soak up more healthy selenium while blocking toxic cadmium from contaminated soil, potentially making rice both safer and more nutritious to eat.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Enhanced Se enrichment and Cd reduction in rice (Oryza sativa L.) by Zr-Mn bimetallic modified biochar in Se-rich and Cd-contaminated soil.
The development of effective amendments for the safe cultivation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in selenium-cadmium co-contaminated paddy soils poses a significant challenge. This study synthesized a no...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Targeted knockout of a host peroxisomal peptidase confers field resistance to...
The corn in your grocery store and the staple food keeping millions of East African families fed is under serious threat from a viral disease that can wipe o...
The peanut, also known as the groundnut, goober, goober pea, pindar or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds, contained in underground pods. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large commercial producers, both as a grain legume and as an oil...