Influence of Sewage Sludge Biochar on the Microbial Environment, Chinese Cabbage Growth, and Heavy Metals Availability of Soil

Abstract

The effects of sewage sludge biochar (SSB) on the microbial environment, Chinese cabbage yield, and heavy metals (HMs) availability of soil were comprehensively investigated in this study. Results showed that the concentrations of the dehydrogenase (DHA) and urease in the soil added with 10% SSB were 3.60 and 1.67 times as high as that of the control soil, respectively, after planting; the concentrations of the bacteria, fungi, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in the soil added with 10% SSB after planting reached 2.84, 2.62, 1.76, and 2.23 times, respectively, compared with those of the control group; the weights of the aboveground and underground parts of Chinese cabbage were 5.82 and 8.67 times as high as those of the control group, respectively. Moreover, the addition of SSB enhanced the immobilization of Cr, Ni, and Cd. All in all, SSB can improve the microbial environment of soil and inhibit the availability of HMs, which is very important for their utilization in barren soil.