Iron-Modified Biochar Strengthens Simazine Adsorption and Decreases Simazine Decomposition in the Soil

Abstract

Currently, modified biochar has been successfully used in the remediation of soil polluted with heavy metals. However, the effects of the modified biochar on pesticides (such as simazine) are still unclear. Herein, the environmental fate of simazine, such as decomposition, leaching, and adsorption in unamended soil, in the soil amended with unmodified and modified biochar (biochar + FeCl3, biochar + FeOS, biochar + Fe) were evaluated. In addition, an incubation experiment was also performed to observe the influence of modified biochar on the microbial community and diversity in the soil. The results showed that modified biochar significantly decreased the decomposition of simazine in the soil compared to its counterpart. Modified biochar also reduced the concentration of simazine in the leachate. Compared with the control, soil microbial biomass in the soil amended with unmodified biochar, biochar + FeCl3, biochar + Fe, and biochar + FeOS was decreased by 5.3%, 18.8%, 8.7%, and 18.1%, respectively. Furthermore, modified biochar changed the structure of the microbial community. This shows that modified biochar could increase the soil adsorption capacity for simazine and change the amount and microbial community that regulates the fate of simazine in the soil. This study concludes that iron-modified biochar has positive and negative effects on the soil. Therefore, its advantages and side effects should be considered before applying it to the soil.

Insights into the influences of biochar on the fate and transport of pesticides in the soil environment: a critical review

“…Pesticides can negatively impact the populations and activities of beneficial soil microorganisms (Arora et al 2019;Satapute et al 2019). These microorganisms are crucial in nutrient cycling and making nutrients available to plants (Cheng et al 2022;Karimi et al 2022). This shows that excessive pesticides may directly affect plant roots, inhibiting their ability to absorb water and essential nutrients.…”

“…Typically, pesticides could alter the physicochemical properties of agricultural soils (Diez et al 2013;Safaei Khorram et al 2016) and adversely affect microbiological and enzymatic activities (Arora et al 2019;Wołejko et al 2020;Borowik et al 2023), which are essential for decomposing soil organic matter. On the other hand, pesticides can trigger and exacerbate health issues, including liver, colon, lung, and prostate cancers, in individuals exposed to them (Al-Ahmadi 2019; Cheng et al 2022). Agricultural farm employees, including farmers, mixers, sprayers, formulators, transporters, and production workers, are considered high-risk groups due to repeated exposure to pesticides (Abdollahdokht et al 2022;Tudi et al 2022).…”

“…Numerous studies have demonstrated that biochar has the potential to immobilize organic and inorganic pollutants within the soil environment effectively (Sun et al 2021;Qiu et al 2022). For instance, the addition of biochar in soil near lakes or other watercourses could significantly reduce subsurface water pollution by lowering the concentration of pesticides that could seep into groundwater (Cheng et al 2022;Rasool et al 2022).…”

“…Typically, there is information on the impacts of biochar and its interactions with various pesticides in soil. For instance, the addition of biochar to the soil reduces pesticide leaching from the soil and absorption in the plants, thereby reducing the risk of water pollution and ensuring the safety and purity of agricultural products due to their excellent absorption capacity (Cheng et al 2022(Cheng et al , 2023. However, information about the interactions between soil microbial community structure and pesticides in the soil environment is limited.…”

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) photosynthetic and water use efficiency response to dairy‐amended biochar

“…Biochar enhances plant growth due to shifts in nutrient cycling in the soil including an increase in nitrogen mineralization (Phillips et al., 2022). Modifying biochar composition with doses of iron, for example, can further increase the nutrient retaining capacity of biochar by increasing the affinity for agriculturally relevant ions (Cheng et al., 2022). Thus, combining dairy waste with iron‐modified biochar may be an efficient means in dispersing nutrient concentrations across the landscape while potentially increasing plant productivity (Dai et al., 2020).…”