Citation: Jianju Li, Xinwei Chen, Yang Yu, Hao Ma, Xinhui Xia, Zixuan Zhao, Junqiu Jiang, Qingliang Zhao, Yingzi Lin, Liangliang Wei. Insights into bioavailable heavy metal impact driven by sludge application on soil nitrification: Toxicity thresholds and influential factors[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2025, 36(7): 110410. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110410 shu

Insights into bioavailable heavy metal impact driven by sludge application on soil nitrification: Toxicity thresholds and influential factors

Jianju Li ^a ,
Xinwei Chen ^a ,
Yang Yu ^{a, c} ,
Hao Ma ^a ,
Xinhui Xia ^a ,
Zixuan Zhao ^a ,
Junqiu Jiang ^a ,
Qingliang Zhao ^a ,
Yingzi Lin ^b ,
Liangliang Wei ^{a, b,,}

a.
State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
b.
Key Laboratory of Songliao Aquatic Environment, Ministry of Education, School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Jilin Jianzhu University, Changchun 130118, China
c.
China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200112, China

Corresponding author: Liangliang Wei, weill333@163.com
Received Date: 23 April 2024
Revised Date: 6 August 2024
Accepted Date: 4 September 2024
Available Online: 4 September 2024

Figures(6)

Strict regulations on heavy metal (HM) limits impede the sludge land utilization for carbon emission reduction. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of bioavailable HMs (Cd, Cu, and Zn) on soil nitrification and determine toxicity thresholds via two cycles of sludge land application tests over 185 days. HMs inhibited gene abundance in their labile fractions, with the most affected being nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB)-nxrB, followed by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB)-amoA, NOB-nxrA, and ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA)-amoA. Toxicity thresholds for incremental labile fractions of HMs (in mg/kg) were determined as 0.35 for Cd, 21.73 for Cu, and 84.04 for Zn. Additionally, AOB, as the core nitrifiers, significantly correlated (P < 0.05) with ammonia nitrogen, soil organic matter, total phosphorus, and total potassium, playing a pivotal role in maintaining intricate interactions within HMs-spiked sludge-treated soil systems. The acute toxicity effects of HMs on potential ammonia oxidation (PAO), measured by inhibition rates, were 77.04%, 73.63%, and 67.06% for Cd, Cu, and Zn, with labile fractions contributing 33.79%, 40.19%, and 28.37%, respectively. Long-term sludge land application revealed chronic toxicity of HMs to PAO through the reshaping of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms, particularly Cu and Zn. These findings provide insights into HM toxicity thresholds and their impact on nitrification, supporting sustainable sludge land management.
- Labile heavy metals,
- Sludge land management,
- Nitrifiers,
- Ammonia oxidation capacity,
- Dynamic effects
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