China is a large agricultural country that produces a large amount of crop straw every year. Thus, the development of cost-effective and economic application of invasive plants is warranted. Biochars derived from crop straw have been proven to be promising for adsorbent materials. However, less studies have focused on biochar derived from different types of crop straw as adsorbent under the same conditions to compare their adsorption performance. Here, we characterized the five biochars in the same system (600 °C). In results, GBC has higher ash content, pH, CEC, specific surface area, mineral composition and oxygen-containing functional groups. The adsorption kinetics can be explained adequately by the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir model, indicating that the adsorption behavior of the biochar is both physical adsorption and chemical adsorption; the adsorption process includes complexation reaction, cationic π bond, ion precipitation and electrostatic adsorption. In conclusion, GBC exhibited higher metal equilibrium adsorption capacities (125 mg·g⁻¹ for Pb²⁺, 29 mg·g⁻¹ for Cd²⁺). The solution pH, biochar dosing, pyrolysis temperature and the properties of these heavy metals were responsible for adsorption capacity, thus showing stronger affinity and better adsorption effect. Our results are important for the selection and utilization of plant-based biochar for different heavy metals.

Micro-organisms play important roles in promoting soil ecosystem restoration, but much of the current research has been limited to changes in microbial community structure in general, and little is known regarding the more sensitive and indicative microbial structures or the responses of microbial diversity to environmental change. In this study, based on high-throughput sequencing and molecular ecological network analyses, the structural characteristics of bacterial communities were investigated in response to four different ecological restoration modes in a coal mining subsidence area located in northwest China. The results showed that among soil nutrients, nitrate-nitrogen and fast-acting potassium were the most strongly associated with microbial community structure under different ecological restoration types. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria were identified as important phyla regarding network connectivity and structural composition. The central natural recovery zone was found to have the smallest network size and low complexity, but high modularity and good microbial community stability. Contrastingly, a highly complex molecular ecological network of soils in the photovoltaic economic zone existed beneath the photovoltaic modules, although no key species, strong bacterial competition, poor resistance to disturbance, and a significant increase in the relative abundance of Gemmatimonadetes were found. Furthermore, the reclamation zone had the highest soil nutrient content, the most complex network structure, and the most key and indicator species; however, the ecological network was less stable and readily disturbed.

In this study, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) optimally controlled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were investigated. Three representative coal-fired power plants were selected as the research areas in Bijie, Guizhou Province, and 24 soil samples were collected totally from power plants at different depths and at different distances from the point pollution sources (plants). The physicochemical properties and microbial characteristics of the soil from the three power plants were also studied. The results showed that 16 PAHs were detected in all soils of the three power plants, with total concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 12.2 mg kg⁻¹, and that PAHs in the soils were mainly 2, 3 rings with percentages ranging from 42% to 82%. The proportions of low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs were higher near the contaminated plants. Moreover, since they were easily dispersed further away with atmospheric transfer, the proportions of lighter LMW PAHs were also higher far from the point source, while the proportions of heavier high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs were higher at some distance from the point source. In addition, the distribution patterns of PAHs in the soil at different depths were slightly different because the microbial activity in the surface soil at each sampling site was greater than that in the deeper soil, and the leaching behavior of each compound was different. Finally, based on the principal component analysis (PCA) method, coal combustion is not the only source of PAHs in soils from power plants, and vehicle emissions cannot be negligible.

China is a large agricultural country that produces a large amount of crop straw every year. Thus, the development of cost-effective and economic application of invasive plants is warranted. Biochars derived from crop straw has been proven to be promising for adsorbent materials. However, less studies have focused on biochar derived from different types of crop straw as adsorbent under the same conditions to compare their adsorption performance. Here, we characterized the five biochars in the same system (600 ℃). In results, GBC has higher ash content, pH, CEC, specific surface area, mineral composition and oxygen-containing functional groups. The adsorption kinetics can be explained adequately by pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir model, indicating that the adsorption behavior of the biochar is both physical adsorption and chemical adsorption, the adsorption process includes complexation reaction, cationic π bond, ion precipitation and electrostatic adsorption. In conclusion, GBC exhibited higher metal equilibrium adsorption capacities (125 mg·g-1 for Pb2+, 29 mg·g-1 for Cd2+). The solution pH, biochar dosing, pyrolysis temperature and the properties of these heavy metals were responsible for adsorption capacity, thus showing stronger affinity and better adsorption effect. Our results are important for the selection and utilization of plant-based biochar for different heavy metals.