Biochar in copper reduction in black beans and soil decontamination

Abstract

When present in high concentrations in the soil, copper causes toxicity in plants, requiring the development of studies for the reduction or immobilization of this element. In this sense, biochar could be an alternative to immobilizing copper in the soil, aiming for lower levels of this element in the biomass and grains of black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) used for human consumption. However, there are variations in biochar reactivity due to its source material and pyrolysis time. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the effect of eucalyptus biochar on the availability of copper in the soil and on its contents in beans grown in contaminated soil. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 5 × 2 factorial arrangement, with five doses of biochar (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% mm-1 of dry soil), soil without and with the addition of copper (1,000 mg kg-1 of dry soil), and with eight repetitions. The copper content available in the soil, root, aerial part, and bean grain; the chlorophyll index; and the bioconcentration and translocation factors of copper in the plant were evaluated. Biochar derived from eucalyptus residues decreases copper availability in contaminated soil. The copper levels in the roots, aerial part, and grains of P. vulgaris are reduced with the application of biochar to the soil, remaining in the grains, from a dose of 1.66% mm-1, below the maximum limit tolerable by Brazilian legislation.