Interaction of Salinity and Sugarcane Biochar on Cadmium Species in Two Contaminated Clayey and Sandy Soils with Cadmium

In addition to the distribution of elements in the soil solid phase, element species in the solution are also very important due to their importance of providing elements for root uptake. For a deeper study of the chemical cycle of elements in saline soils treated with biochar, the study of speciation is very useful and provides a method to reduce or transform the toxicity caused by toxic elements in saline soils. Therefore, to investigate the effect of biochar on Cd speciation in two saline calcareous soils, 15 mg kg-1 Cd as cadmium chloride was added to the soil sample (200 g), and the soils were incubated for three weeks at 25±2 °C at 80% field capacity. After the incubation period, salinity levels of 20 and 40 mmol kg-1 as sodium chloride (equal to 3.65 and 7.30 dS m-1) were added to the soils. Then, the 1% (w/w) of the sugarcane bagasse and biochars produced at 400 and 600 °C were added to the soils, and then incubated for three months at 25±2 °C at 80% field capacity. At the end of the incubation period, for the speciation of Cd in the soil solution (in a 1 to 2 ratio), the concentration of dissolved cations and anions in the soil samples was measured. The results showed that the interaction between salinity, biochar, and soil on Cd2+, CdCl+, CdCl20, and Cd(SO4)22- was significant. The application of biochar in sandy soil reduced (p <0.05) the concentration of CdCl+, CdCl20, CdSO40, and CdOH+ species compared to the control soil, while it did not affect clay soil. Also, salinity caused by sodium chloride in sandy soil increased the concentration of CdCl+ and CdCl20 species and decreased CdSO40 and CdOH+ species compared to the control soil (p <0.05). The results showed that biochar in saline sandy soil was more effective than clay soil in reducing Cd toxicity.