{"title":"Lead and cadmium biosorption from contaminated water using <i>Tagetes erecta</i> L. flower waste proven through langmuir and freundlich models.","authors":"Priti Chauhan, Ritu Panwar, Sudhakar Srivastava, Jyoti Mathur","doi":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2557624","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2557624","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The discharge of wastewater containing toxic pollutants, such as lead [Pb(II)] and cadmium [Cd(II)], into water bodies is one of the most critical challenges nowadays. Apart from this, the daily generation of organic waste like vegetable, fruit, and flower waste in cities is increasing constantly. Therefore, a novel approach was adopted in this study that used flower waste (<i>Tagetes erecta</i> L. marigold) for the metal removal from polluted water with a view to manage flower waste and metal contaminants simultaneously. The characterization of prepared waste of <i>T. erecta</i> flowers and its biosorption capacity for Cd and Pb were investigated through various techniques viz., atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), and Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR). Experiments for adsorption isotherm were carried out at the room temperature and the performance was determined using Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models. Equilibrium data was confirmed to follow pseudo second order kinetics. The maximum adsorption capacities of flower waste for Cd(II) and Pb(II) were 52.6 and 21.74 mg g<sup>-1</sup>, respectively. The study findings indicated that the optimum pH and time for the most effective elimination were pH 6 and 150 min, respectively, for Pb (80%) and Cd (91.8%).</p>","PeriodicalId":14235,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Phytoremediation","volume":" ","pages":"201-209"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145075223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sibgha Ayub, Rabia Rehman, Asfa Bajwa, Zeshan Iqbal, Zahrah T Al-Thagafi, Eman A Al-Abbad
{"title":"Microwave assisted phyto-mediated synthesis of tartaric acid infused <i>Citrus paradisi</i> peels for phytofiltration of Rhodamine-B dye from wastewater.","authors":"Sibgha Ayub, Rabia Rehman, Asfa Bajwa, Zeshan Iqbal, Zahrah T Al-Thagafi, Eman A Al-Abbad","doi":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2563138","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2563138","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigates the potential of <i>Citrus paradisi</i> peel (CP) as biosorbent for the elimination of Rhodamine B (RhD B) from wastewater. The study used FTIR, SEM and EDX to determine the structure of CP. It was shown that 1.4 and 2.0 g were the optimal biosorbent doses for plain and treated peels, respectively. A number of factors were optimized in order to examine the sorbent efficiency for Rhodamine-B dye. Simple and acid-modified biosorbents were employed in batch mode processing to remove hazardous basic dyes such as rhodamine-B. Adsorption equilibrium was achieved within 60 min, and treated grapefruit peels (TTCP) were found to be more effective than untreated grapefruit peels (UCP). Kinetic studies outcomes showed that the pseudo-second-order kinetics form fit more with an R2 of ≥ 0.916 and ≥ 0.932 for UCP and TTCP respectively. The adsorption isotherm of Langmuir was used to describe equilibrium for TTCP, with highest sorption ability of 321.507 µg/g. The study also discovered that 1 M HCl and NaOH may be used to regenerate CP, with recovery rates of RhD B reaching up to 98% and 85%, respectively indicating CP is a potential biosorbent for removing RhD B from aqueous solutions.</p>","PeriodicalId":14235,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Phytoremediation","volume":" ","pages":"336-351"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145130670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
James Friday Amaku, Ifeoma Anne Omobhude, Okoche Kelvin Amadi, Tunde Lewis Yusuf, Fanyana M Mtunzi, Jesse Greener
{"title":"Phytogenic TiO<sub>2</sub>-biochar nanocomposite derived from <i>Prunus dulcis</i> for enhanced Rhodamine B removal from aqueous systems.","authors":"James Friday Amaku, Ifeoma Anne Omobhude, Okoche Kelvin Amadi, Tunde Lewis Yusuf, Fanyana M Mtunzi, Jesse Greener","doi":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2566936","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2566936","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to evaluate the removal of Rhodamine B (RhB), a cationic dye, from synthetic wastewater using a multi-walled carbon nanotube/titanium dioxide (MWCNT/TiO<sub>2</sub>)-modified biochar composite (CBTM), with pristine biochar (CCB) as a reference. The effects of solution pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, temperature, and initial dye concentration on adsorption performance were systematically investigated. Maximum RhB removal occurred at pH 3, with equilibrium achieved after 180 min. Under these conditions, CBTM exhibited a higher adsorption capacity (31.43 mg·g<sup>-1</sup>) than CCB (17.31 mg·g<sup>-1</sup>) at 313 K. Equilibrium data were best described by the Freundlich isotherm, indicating multilayer adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces, while kinetic analysis showed that the pseudo-first-order model provided the most accurate fit, suggesting a physisorption-dominated process. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔG°, ΔH°, ΔS°) confirmed that the adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic. Interestingly, while CBTM demonstrated superior dye removal, antimicrobial assays revealed stronger bacterial inhibition by CCB. These results highlight the potential of CBTM for efficient dye removal and underscore the multifunctional capabilities of biochar-based adsorbents.</p>","PeriodicalId":14235,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Phytoremediation","volume":" ","pages":"399-411"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145232583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effectiveness and mechanism of plant purification of nutrients and perfluoroalkyl acids in simulated river water under microplastic stress.","authors":"Yi-Xi Liu, Yi-Li Wang, Guo-Hao Wang, Yu-Cheng Wang, De-Tao Que, Yuan-Yuan Zhou","doi":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2572316","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2572316","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Pontederia cordata</i>, <i>Canna indica</i>, <i>Myriophyllum verticillatum</i>, and <i>Vallisneria natans</i> were selected to investigate the effect and mechanism of plant removal of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) from simulated river water under microplastic stress through hydroponic experiments. The results showed that the four plants had good ability to remove TN, TP, PFOA, and PFOS from simulated river water under microplastic stress. The removal of TN, TP, PFOA, and PFOS by plants under microplastic stress ranged from 57.1% to 80.0%, 48.5% to 67.6%, 42.0% to 68.5%, and 48.0% to 85.3%, respectively. The best removal of TN and TP was achieved by <i>P. cordata</i> with 80.0% and 67.6%, respectively, while PFOA and PFOS were removed by <i>P. cordata</i> at a rate of 42.0% and 48.0%, respectively. <i>M. verticillatum</i> showed the most significant removal of PFOA and PFOS. The uptake of PFOS by plants was better than that of PFOA. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) tended to accumulate in plant roots more than PFOA in <i>P. cordata</i> and <i>C. indica</i>. Microplastic stress resulted in a decrease in plant removal of TN, TP, PFOA, and PFOS by 3.9%∼5.3%, 5.4%∼6.9%, 4.9%∼7.2%, and 2.7%∼7.2%, respectively.</p>","PeriodicalId":14235,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Phytoremediation","volume":" ","pages":"493-504"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145336860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Advances in bio-based composites for soil heavy metal remediation: a comprehensive review.","authors":"Xiaolong Li, Minghu Wang, Meiqing Jin, Weihong Wu","doi":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2577827","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2577827","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review explores the potential of natural material-derived composites to remediate toxic element contamination in terrestrial environments. It highlights innovative synthesis strategies-such as chemical modification, nanomaterial incorporation, and physical processing-that produce porous structures with high adsorption capacities. Key mechanisms including ion exchange, surface complexation, biomineralization, and photocatalysis are examined for their roles in immobilizing hazardous ions. Renewable feedstocks like agricultural residues, lignocellulosic biomass, and marine-derived polymers are evaluated as sustainable precursors. The integration of these materials with plant-assisted uptake and microbial stabilization is also discussed to enhance remediation performance. Kinetic modeling, adsorption isotherms, and regeneration studies provide insights into material efficiency, while life cycle assessments emphasize the environmental benefits of green synthesis and circular economy practices. Challenges such as scalability, feedstock variability, and long-term performance are addressed, and future research directions are proposed to optimize material design and expand real-world applications. This review bridges mechanistic insight with practical solutions, offering a foundation for sustainable technologies that mitigate environmental toxicity and support ecological resilience.</p>","PeriodicalId":14235,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Phytoremediation","volume":" ","pages":"579-604"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145389623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chimaobi O Ugorji, Janefrances N Ihedioha, Nwachukwu R Ekere, Paul Chinwuba
{"title":"Biosorption of Pb (II) ion from aqueous solution using unmodified and modified <i>Cola acuminata</i> fruit husk.","authors":"Chimaobi O Ugorji, Janefrances N Ihedioha, Nwachukwu R Ekere, Paul Chinwuba","doi":"10.1080/15226514.2026.2646468","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15226514.2026.2646468","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Effective use of agricultural wastes has become one of the promising fields of wastewater treatment technology due to their cost effectiveness as well as their eco-friendly nature. Unmodified <i>Cola acuminata</i> (UCA), phosphoric acid modified <i>Cola acuminata</i> (PMCA) and thermally modified <i>Cola acuminata</i> (TMCA) fruit husk were used in this study as a low cost adsorbents for the removal of Pb (II) ion from aqueous solution. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), and a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analyzer were used to characterize the adsorbents. The impact of pH, metal ion concentration, adsorbent dose, contact time, and temperature on bisorption was evaluated using the batch adsorption approach. The data obtained were then applied to suitable isotherm and kinetic models. The percentage adsorption of Pb (II) decreased with increase in metal ion concentration while for pH, adsorbent dose, contact time and temperature there was an increase in percentage adsorption as their parameters increases while the optimum was at pH of 6. The percentage adsorption of Pb (II) increased from 15.86 to 73.14, 28.32 to 84.00, and 26.15 to 79.12%, for UCA, PMCA, and TMCA respectively. The trend of metal adsorption on the adsorbents was in the order PMCA > TMCA > UCA. The adsorption data were fitted to the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) with the Langmuir isotherm providing the best fit. The FTIR showed that the O-H, C≡C and C = O groups were the major sites for the adsorbent material. The energy dispersive X-ray spectrum displayed the principal elements, such as nitrogen, silicon, carbon, oxygen, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, in different percentages, while the scanning electron microscope (SEM) image demonstrated its high porosity and numerous pore cavities that served as adsorption sites. Only pseudo-second order and physisorptions were found to offer the best fit to the experimental data of Pb (II) ions, according to the kinetics and thermodynamic analyses. TMCA showed the highest desorption 86.92% after fourth cycles of desorption experiment. These results show that the three adsorbents have the potential to be used as low-cost and efficient adsorbents for the removal of lethal heavy metals from aqueous solutions.</p>","PeriodicalId":14235,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Phytoremediation","volume":" ","pages":"2149-2165"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147627821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Leverage of <i>Eichhornia crassipes</i> in modulating pharmaceuticals and personal care products in Delhi-NCR hotspots.","authors":"Hitesh Shrimal, Richa Dave Nagar, Monalisha Samal, Sirajuddin Ahmed, Divya Sharma","doi":"10.1080/15226514.2026.2646472","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15226514.2026.2646472","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the critically polluted Yamuna River, a lifeline for the Delhi-NCR region, the interplay between seasonal contaminant loads and natural phytoremediation remains poorly understood. This study presents the quantification of eight priority pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in water with evaluation of the bioaccumulation potential in <i>Eichhornia crassipes</i> along a 22 km area in pre- and post-monsoon. Paracetamol (up to 2866.9 ± 41.60 ng/L) and mefenamic acid (up to 829.5 ± 5.48 ng/L) were the most abundant analytes found in post-monsoon with frequencies of detection (FoD) > 90%. The bioaccumulation assessment was performed in <i>E. crassipes</i> that was naturally abundant in pre-monsoon season but less so in winter, coinciding with a notable rise in PPCP concentrations. The study revealed significant uptake with the assistance of the bioaccumulation factor. The contaminant's retention and distribution in surface water are directly influenced by the seasonal dieback of <i>E. crassipes</i> in river water. Notably, seasonal analysis revealed that pre-monsoon concentrations of carbendazim were significantly higher than post-monsoon levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These findings emphasize the regulation of PPCP dynamics in urban rivers by the phytoremediation potential of <i>E. crassipes</i> and highlight the need for integrating natural wetland vegetation into water quality management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":14235,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Phytoremediation","volume":" ","pages":"2178-2191"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147511868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Saima Maher, Abida Fazal, Shamim Khan, Samreen Soomro, Farah Naz Channa, Maria Essa, Adeela Anwar, Asia Kareem, Muhammad Imran, Gul Mina, Sobia Khawaja, Mashael Alanazi, Marah Al Mutairi
{"title":"Comparative assessment of <i>Spinacia oleracea</i> and <i>Brassica juncea</i> for efficient phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils.","authors":"Saima Maher, Abida Fazal, Shamim Khan, Samreen Soomro, Farah Naz Channa, Maria Essa, Adeela Anwar, Asia Kareem, Muhammad Imran, Gul Mina, Sobia Khawaja, Mashael Alanazi, Marah Al Mutairi","doi":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2586661","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2586661","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phytoremediation is a sustainable and cost-effective approach to remediate soil and water contaminated with hazardous metals using plants. This study evaluates the phytoremediation potential of two hyperaccumulator plants in Pakistan, <i>Spinacia oleracea</i> (spinach) and <i>Brassica juncea</i> (Indian mustard), focusing on their capability to extract heavy metals from contaminated soils. Results indicated that both species are effective in accumulating heavy metals, with <i>S. oleracea</i> showed significance effect. Specifically, extracted higher levels of cadmium, achieved concentrations of 77.10 ppm, compared to 62.57 ppm in <i>B. juncea.</i> The study also evaluated the accumulation percentage and Bio-concentration Factor (BCF) of heavy metals in <i>S. oleracea</i> and <i>B. juncea</i> to provide further insights. Furthermore, it also showed a higher accumulation of zinc, with a concentration of 69.68 ppm. These results highlight the efficacy of <i>S. oleracea</i> in metal uptake and underscore the utility of both species in the phytoremediation of contaminated sites. This study provides essential insights for optimizing phytoremediation strategies and selecting appropriate plant species based on specific environmental contaminants and conditions, thereby advancing the application of phytoremediation as a sustainable solution for managing soil pollution.</p>","PeriodicalId":14235,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Phytoremediation","volume":" ","pages":"874-884"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145549232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yongbing Jiang, Xiyun Yang, Shimeng Jiang, Hui Cao, Zhangbao Li, Ming Wang, Tangzhong Long, Yong Liu
{"title":"Effects of nitrogenous fertilizers on the chemical properties of polluted paddy soil and the accumulation of Cd in mulberry.","authors":"Yongbing Jiang, Xiyun Yang, Shimeng Jiang, Hui Cao, Zhangbao Li, Ming Wang, Tangzhong Long, Yong Liu","doi":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2607519","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2607519","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nitrogenous fertilizer (N fertilizer) is crucial to the quality of mulberry leaves. This study evaluated the influences of 4 N fertilizers on the chemical properties of paddy soil, mulberry growth, leaf quality and Cd distribution in mulberry. The results showed the soil pH was reduced with the increasing concentrations of NH<sub>4</sub>Cl and (NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>. The soil pH for NH<sub>4</sub>Cl and (NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> treatments were 4.60 and 4.62 at 300 mg N/kg soil, 21.10% and 20.75% lower than that of the control, respectively. CO(NH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub> increased soil organic matter (OM) and the 4 N fertilizers all increased the Cd phytoavailability with (NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>>NH<sub>4</sub>Cl > CO(NH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>>NaNO<sub>3</sub>. (NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> and CO(NH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub> improved leaf production, total mulberry biomass and the total sugar in leaf. CO(NH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>, NH<sub>4</sub>Cl and NaNO<sub>3</sub> increased the crude protein content and (NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> increased the chlorophyll content (8.10%∼20.20%). (NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> and NH<sub>4</sub>Cl increased the Cd concentration in leaf, stem and root. CO(NH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub> increased Cd concentration in leaf and stem. All 4 N fertilizers decreased the percentage content of Cd in roots (1.80%∼37.74%) and increased it in stems (3.90%∼263.81%) and leaves (24.09%∼236.18%). The leaves from the CO(NH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub> and NaNO<sub>3</sub> treatments met the hygienical standard for feeds. CO(NH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub> and NaNO<sub>3</sub> could be recommended to safely utilize the Cd polluted acidic paddy soils.</p>","PeriodicalId":14235,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Phytoremediation","volume":" ","pages":"1278-1289"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145892393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Environmental health risks of heavy metal transfer from soil to cicadas via poplar trees: implications for safe cicada farming.","authors":"Yepu Li, Jialin Yang, Junhong Wu, Guobing Wang, Jianbiao Peng, Zhengan Zhang, Hongyan Guo","doi":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2597391","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15226514.2025.2597391","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Poplar trees possess dual functionality for soil heavy metal phytoremediation and cicada cultivation. However, the health risks associated with metal transfer along the soil-root-cicada pathway require further elucidation. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry analysis of soil (<i>n</i> = 36), poplar root (<i>n</i> = 9), and cicada life stage (<i>n</i> = 27) samples revealed distinct heavy metal distribution patterns. Soil concentrations (mg·kg<sup>-1</sup>) ranged as follows: Cd 0.03-5.67, Pb 2.50-433, Cu 11.25-37.73, Ni 27.00-65.50, Zn 58.33-141.50. Metal partitioning showed Cd (0.16-33.05 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup>) and Cu accumulating in adult cicadas, while Zn (peak 609 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup>), Pb (0.30-94.33 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup>) and Ni were predominantly retained in exuviae. Notably, Zn exhibited particularly strong bioaccumulation from roots. Cd and Pb concentrations in edible cicada stages and Cd in exuviae exceeded safety limits, correlating with substantial root accumulation (Cd: 0.75-19.67, Pb: 4.32-85.33 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup>). Risk assessment showed negligible non-carcinogenic risks (HQs < 1.0) at typical consumption rates, though adults presented higher Cd-related risks than nymphs. Soil Cd safety thresholds were established at 1.52 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup> (adults) and 3.97 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup> (nymphs). These findings demonstrate significant trophic transfer amplification of metal risks and provide crucial safety benchmarks for sustainable cicada production.</p>","PeriodicalId":14235,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Phytoremediation","volume":" ","pages":"1105-1117"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145700848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}