Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.3390/toxics11121008
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Impact of cadmium contamination on fertilizer value and associated health risks in different soil types following anaerobic digestate application
Author Shah, G.M.; Farooq, U.; Shabbir, Z.; Guo, J.; Dong, R.; Bakhat, H.F.; Wakeel, M.; Siddique, A. ORCID logo ; Shahid, N.
Source Titel Toxics
Year 2023
Department OEKOTOX
Volume 11
Issue 12
Page From art. 1008
Language englisch
Topic T9 Healthy Planet
Keywords Cd contamination; microbial biomass; biogas residues; nitrogen utilization; health risk assessment
Abstract Cadmium (Cd) contamination in the soil potentially hampers microbial biomass and adversely affects their services such as decomposition and mineralization of organic matter. It can reduce nitrogen (N) metabolism and consequently affect plant growth and physiology. Further, Cd accumulation in plants can pose health risks through vegetable consumption. Here, we investigated consequences of Cd contamination on fertilizer value and associated health risks following the application of biogas residues (BGR) to various soil types. Our results indicate that the application of BGR to all soil types significantly increased dry matter (DM) yield and N uptake. However, the Cd contamination negatively affected DM yield and N recovery from BGR in a dose-dependent manner. Organic N mineralization from BGR also decreased in Cd-contaminated soils. The highest DM yield and N recovery were recorded in sandy soil, whereas the lowest values were observed in clay soil. Cadmium was accumulated in spinach, and health risk index (HRI) associated with its dietary intake revealed that consuming spinach grown in Cd-contaminated soil, with or without BGR, is unsafe. Among the soil types, values of daily intake of metals (DIM) and HRI were lowest in clay soil and highest in sandy soil. However, the application of BGR curtailed HRI across all soil types. Notably, the application of BGR alone resulted in HRI values < 1, which are under the safe limit. We conclude that soil contamination with Cd reduces fertilizer value and entails implications for human health. However, the application of BGR to the soil can decrease Cd effects.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=28328
Shah, G.M., Farooq, U., Shabbir, Z., Guo, J., Dong, R., Bakhat, H.F., Wakeel, M., Siddique, A., Shahid, N. (2023):
Impact of cadmium contamination on fertilizer value and associated health risks in different soil types following anaerobic digestate application
Toxics 11 (12), art. 1008 10.3390/toxics11121008