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A systematic review on the bioremediation of metal contaminated soils using biochar and slag: current status and future outlook

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Abstract

Heavy metals contaminated soils are posing severe threats to food safety worldwide. Heavy metals absorbed by plant roots from contaminated soils lead to severe plant development issues and a reduction in crop yield and growth. The global population is growing, and the demand for food is increasing. Therefore, it is critical to identify soil remediation strategies that are efficient, economical, and environment friendly. The use of biochar and slag as passivators represents a promising approach among various physicochemical and biological strategies due to their efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and low environmental impact. These passivators employ diverse mechanisms to reduce the bioavailability of metals in contaminated soils, thereby improving crop growth and productivity. Although studies have shown the effectiveness of different passivators, further research is needed globally as this field is still in its early stages. This review sheds light on the innovative utilization of biochar and slag as sustainable strategies for heavy metal remediation, emphasizing their novelty and potential for practical applications. Based on the findings, research gaps have been identified and future research directions proposed to enable the full potential of passivators to be utilized effectively and efficiently under controlled and field conditions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC-31860728) and Qatar Petroleum (QUEX-CAS-QP-RD-18/19).

Funding

This research work has been financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC-31860728) and Qatar Petroleum (QUEX-CAS-QP-RD-18/19).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou City, 570100, China

    Sajid Mehmood, Waqas Ahmed, Mohsin Mahmood & Wei-dong Li

  2. Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province (Hainan University), Haikou, 570228, China

    Sajid Mehmood, Waqas Ahmed & Mohsin Mahmood

  3. Environmental Science Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

    Juha M. Alatalo

  4. Department of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Punjab, Pakistan

    Rana Muhammad Ammar Asghar

  5. Soil and Environmental Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Imtiaz

  6. Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Space and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing, China

    Naseer Ullah

  7. Department of Environmental Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Dir (U), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 18000, Pakistan

    Allah Ditta

  8. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia

    Allah Ditta

Authors
  1. Sajid Mehmood
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  2. Waqas Ahmed
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  3. Juha M. Alatalo
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  4. Mohsin Mahmood
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  5. Rana Muhammad Ammar Asghar
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  6. Muhammad Imtiaz
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  7. Naseer Ullah
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  8. Wei-dong Li
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  9. Allah Ditta
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Contributions

Sajid Mehmood and Waqas Ahmed came up with the first draft of the article. Muhammad Imtiaz, Juha M. Alatalo, and Mohsin Mahmood prepared tables and figures. Naseer Ullah, Wei-dong Li, Rana Muhammad Ammar Asghar, and Allah Ditta critically reviewed and commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Wei-dong Li or Allah Ditta.

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Mehmood, S., Ahmed, W., Alatalo, J.M. et al. A systematic review on the bioremediation of metal contaminated soils using biochar and slag: current status and future outlook. Environ Monit Assess 195, 961 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11561-7

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