Cadmium Minimization in Grains of Maize and Wheat Grown on Smelting-Impacted Land Ameliorated by Limestone
Fuqing Sui,
Yanzheng Yang,
Yong Wu,
Jiali Yan,
Haichao Fu,
Chang Li,
Shiyu Qin,
Long Wang,
Wenwen Zhang,
Wei Gao,
Hongen Liu,
Peng Zhao
Affiliations
Fuqing Sui
Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Remediation of Henan Province, College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Yanzheng Yang
Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Remediation of Henan Province, College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Yong Wu
Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Remediation of Henan Province, College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Jiali Yan
College of Civil and Architecture Engineering, Chuzhou University, Chuzhou 239000, China
Haichao Fu
Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Remediation of Henan Province, College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Chang Li
Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Remediation of Henan Province, College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Shiyu Qin
Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Remediation of Henan Province, College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Long Wang
Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Remediation of Henan Province, College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Wenwen Zhang
Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Remediation of Henan Province, College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Wei Gao
Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Remediation of Henan Province, College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Hongen Liu
Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Remediation of Henan Province, College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Peng Zhao
Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Remediation of Henan Province, College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Cadmium (Cd) contamination in agricultural soils has emerged as a significant concern, particularly due to its potential impact on plant-based food. Soil pH reductions can exacerbate Cd mobility, leading to excessive accumulation in crops. While liming has been demonstrated as an effective method to mitigate Cd accumulation in rice grains in acid soils of southern China, its efficacy in remediating acid soils in northern China remains unclear. In this study, a multi-year field experiment was conducted on farmland impacted by zinc ore smelting at coordinates of 33.92° N 112.46° E to investigate the use of limestone for controlling Cd accumulation in wheat and maize grains. The results indicated that applying 7.5 t ha−1 of limestone significantly raised the soil pH from 4.5 to 6.8 as anticipated. Different rates of limestone application (2.25, 4.45, and 7.50 t ha−1) reduced Cd bioavailability in the soil by 20–54%, and Cd accumulation in wheat grains by 5–38% and maize grains by 21–63%, without yield penalty. The remediation effects were sustained for at least 27 months, highlighting limestone as a promising ameliorant for smelting-affected farmland in northern China.
