Evaluation of rice husk ash nanoparticles for amelioration of lead and cadmium contaminated soils
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Date
2017
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
The investigation entitled “Evaluation of nanoparticles of rice husk ash for
amelioration of lead and cadmium contaminated soils” was conducted at screen house,
Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during rabi season of
2015-16. A loamy sand soil was spiked with four levels of Pb and Cd individually and further
amended with five rates of rice husk ash (RHA) and nano rice husk ash (NRHA). The
objectives of study were to determine the effects of application of RHA and NRHA on
transformation of Pb and Cd in soil and their translocation to Indian mustard (Brassica
juncea) grown for sixty days for shoot dry matter. Application of Pb and Cd linearly and
significantly decreased the shoot dry matter from 4.78 in control to 2.19 and 2.50 g pot-1 at
200 and 40 mg kg-1 soil level of Pb and Cd spiking, respectively. Addition of RHA and
NRHA produced significant decline in magnitude of DTPA extractable Pb and Cd and
increased the dry matter yield of crop. Maximum percent increase was observed at highest
level of contamination (200 mg Pb kg-1 soil) amended with highest level (4%) of NRHA.
Spiking the soil with Pb and Cd resulted in decrease in the content of macro and
micronutrients. Addition of RHA and NRHA however, increased macro and micronutrient
content with concomitant decrease in content of Pb and Cd in plant shoot. Application of
NRHA was superior in reducing bioavailability of metals and increasing crop growth. The
study indicated that RHA has potential for ameliorating heavy metal contaminated soils and
its efficacy can be increased by decreasing its size (NRHA).