industrial-byproducts
Industrial byproducts are residual materials—such as ash, sludge, biochar, or spent grains—generated from manufacturing and processing operations that would otherwise be treated as waste. In plant science, researchers study how these materials can be repurposed as soil amendments, growth substrates, or nutrient sources, offering a sustainable way to recycle waste while potentially improving soil fertility and plant growth. This research also helps identify any risks these byproducts may pose, such as contaminant accumulation or altered soil chemistry, ensuring their safe and effective use in agriculture.
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%