BEIJING, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have found that earthworms can get rid of 30 percent of cadmium content in soils.
The remediation of cadmium-contaminated soil has attracted global attention due to its toxicity to living organisms.
Earthworms improve the organic composition of soils and enhance nutrient cycling by changing bacterial and fungal communities in the soil.
Researchers from the Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University found that earthworms, alone or combined with an organic compound called EDTA and bean dregs, are feasible for the remediation of cadmium-contaminated soil.
They conducted a 35-day soil incubation experiment and found that the earthworms were capable of removing cadmium from soils, and the remediation process was accelerated by EDTA and bean dregs.
The research showed that soil fertility, bacterial communities, and enzymatic activities were elevated after remediation. Besides, EDTA and bean dregs positively influenced the detoxification of earthworms and alleviated the impact of heavy metal pollution of soil on earthworms.
The researchers concluded that the worm-remediation could be an optimal approach for accelerated soil remediation. The research article was published in the journal Environmental Pollution. Enditem
