groundwater-contamination
Groundwater contamination refers to the presence of pollutants in underground water sources that plants absorb through their root systems. This is significant in plant science because contaminant uptake can inhibit plant growth, reduce crop productivity, and disrupt normal physiological processes. Additionally, researchers study plant-based remediation strategies, as certain species can tolerate or accumulate contaminants, offering potential approaches to environmental restoration.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-06-30
Phosphogypsum, a fertilizer-industry waste increasingly spread on fields as a soil conditioner, leaches fluoride into groundwater at up to three times the safe limit. A soil bacterium found in this study traps that fluoride by crystallizing it into stable minerals, outperforming all chemical treatments tested.
Phosphogypsum-amended soils leach fluoride at up to 3.0 mg/L, three times China's Class III groundwater quality limit
Nocardia sp. X10 achieved 65.7% fluoride immobilization in soil columns, surpassing chemical passivators at 57.2% and 61.8%
Adding calcium and phosphate as mineral precursors boosted bacterial fluoride capture from 8.6% to 77.1%