Characteristics of Three Organic Fertilizers and Their Influence on the Mobility of Cadmium and Arsenic in a Soil-Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) System

Abstract

The properties and effects of organic fertilizers are different, including the ability to improve soil fertility and the potential of stabilizing heavy metals in soils that have not been explored in depth. In this study, three organic fertilizers from different raw materials were characterized and evaluated. The mushroom residue organic fertilizer (MO) had higher C, H, and O contents and more functional groups (-OH, C-H, and C=O), and its application significantly increased pH (1.00~1.32 units), organic matter (OM) content (26.58%~69.11%) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) (31.52%~39.91%) of soil. MO treatment also reduced the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP)-Cd (24.21%) and TCLP-As (18.44%) concentration in the soil. That inhibited the mobilization of Cd and As from soil to plant, especially to plant shoots, and positively affected the plant growth and biomass. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that 40.09 % of total plant variation was related to soil properties (pH, OM, and CEC). Furthermore, the heavy metal risk assessment for all organic fertilizers was at safe levels. This study provides a valuable reference for the selection of organic fertilizers. Besides, it recommends organic fertilizers as economic and multi-effect amendments with safe use and provides a new option for the ‘simultaneous production and remediation’ of farmlands with low pollution.