Faculty Publications
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Item Role of coconut shell biochar and earthworm (Eudrilus euginea) in bioremediation and palak spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) growth in cadmium-contaminated soil(Academic Press, 2022) Noronha, F.R.; Manikandan, S.K.; Nair, N.The contamination of soil with heavy metals is known to affect the yield the soil fertility, which in turn affects the growth of agricultural crops. This study investigates the role of coconut shell biochar (CSB) and earthworms (Eudrilus euginea) in the bioremediation and growth of Palak spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) in cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil. The soils were amended with different combinations of CSB and earthworms and incubated for 35 days. Later, the soil samples were analyzed for the changes in the soil properties, soil enzyme activity, and heavy metal contents. It is observed that the treatments with both CSB and earthworms resulted in the improvement of soil properties and soil enzyme activity which was directly related to soil fertility. Meanwhile, the maximum removal of 94.38% of total Cd content in the soil was obtained for the soil sample contain both CSB and earthworms. The improved soil properties resulted in a higher germination percentage of Spinacia oleracea L. seeds in the Cd contaminated soil. © 2021 Elsevier LtdItem Developing a biocatalyst showcasing the synergistic effect of rice husk biochar and bacterial cells for the removal of heavy metals(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2023) Manikandan, S.K.; Nair, V.Heavy metals like cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) are toxic pollutants that affect the environment and pose health risks. Removal of Cd and Ni through bioremediation in the presence of biochar is a sustainable strategy. This study investigated the removal of Cd and Ni by Pseudomonas stutzeri immobilized on rice husk biochar (PRHB). The removal efficiency was calculated by varying the culture incubation time, pH, temperature, biocatalyst dosage, and initial metal ion concentration. PRHB showed a maximum metal removal capacity of 95% Cd and 92% Ni. The removal efficiency of PRHB was higher than that of free cells, which could be attributed to simultaneous adsorption, ion exchange, complexation, precipitation, and bioaccumulation caused by the biochar carrier and bacteria. The rice husk biochar material served as both an adsorbent and a carrier supplying nutrients for the growth of the bacteria. Considering the excellent metal ion removal capability and reusability, the use of PRHB could be a promising, cost-effective, and environment-friendly strategy for treating wastewater containing heavy metals. © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Item Dual-role of coconut shell biochar as a soil enhancer and catalyst support in bioremediation(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2025) Manikandan, S.K.; Nair, V.The application of soil amendments has been proposed to influence soil properties, thereby improving agricultural productivity. They are known to increase the organic matter content, water holding capacity, and soil porosity, which play a significant role in the growth and development of plants. In work, experiments were carried out to evaluate the impact of coconut shell biochar as a soil amendment and microbial cell support to remediate cadmium-contaminated soil. To investigate the roles of biochar size and concentration on soil water holding capacity, the laterite loam soil is mixed with the biochar having different particle sizes of less than 1 mm, 1–2 mm, and 2–5 mm and concentrations of 1%, 5%, and 10% (w/w). The effects of combining biochar with different concentrations of 1%, 5%, and 10% (w/w) of farmyard manure on plant growth of Solanum lycopersicum L, soil nutrient changes, and enzyme activity are also investigated. The biochar particle size of <1 mm and concentration of 10% showed the highest (41.5%) water holding capacity and 90.47% germination, and 464.25 seed vigour index for Solanum lycopersicum L. Further 21 days soil incubation experiments were conducted to explain the effect of the biochar, and P. stutzeri immobilized on biochar on cadmium adsorption and bioavailability in soil. Cadmium removal of about 73.84% was obtained from contaminated soil compared to the control. It is suggested that coconut shell biochar generation from coconut shells could be a sustainable crop residue management option to enhance the soil physico chemical properties and also to remediate soil. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2023.