Biochar efficacy for reducing heavy metals uptake by Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) and spinach (Spinaccia oleracea) to minimize human health risk.

Environmentally friendly and cost-effective techniques are required to reclaim land degraded during mining activities. Bioaccumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in vegetables grown on contaminated soils can increase human health risks. The potential effects of hardwood biochar (HWB) was assessed for chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and lead (Pb) bioavailability in mine-contaminated soils and their subsequently bioaccumulation in crops and associated health risk. HWB was applied to chromium-manganese mine contaminated soils at the rate of 3% to investigate the efficiency of HWB for the second crop in crop rotation technique. Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) and spinach (Spinaccia oleracea) were grown as second crop in the same pots which were already used for rice cultivation as first crop (without adding further amendments). Application of HWB decreased the concentrations of Cr, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Pb in cilantro by 25.5%, 37.1%, 42.5%, 34.3%, and 36.2%, respectively as compared to control. In spinach, the reduction in concentrations of Cr was 75.0%, Zn 24.1%, Cu 70.1%, Mn 78.0%, and Pb 50.5% as compared to control. HWB significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the HMs uptake in spinach cultivated in the amended soils as compared to the spinach in control. Bioaccumulation factor results also indicate that HWB decreased the bioaccumulation of selected HMs in cilantro and spinach, thus reducing health risks. Results of the study clearly demonstrate that the use of HWB can significantly reduce HMs in vegetables, associated health risk and improve food quality, therefore can be used as soil amendment for reclamation of mine-degraded soils.