Low-dose biochar added to sediment improves water quality and promotes the growth of submerged macrophytes

Biochar is a good adsorbent for water pollutants. However, the effects of biochar on aquatic organisms are not well understood. In this study, different amounts of biochar (CK, 0 mg/g; T1, 10 mg/g; T2, 30 mg/g) were added to sediment to study changes in water quality and its impact on three submerged macrophytes (Hydrilla verticillata, Vallisneria natans, and Ceratophyllum demersum) and the sediment microbial community. The results indicated that biochar treatments significantly increased the water pH and conductivity. Compared with the initial values, the total phosphorus (P) contents in the water of the CK, T1, and T2 treatments decreased by 78.5%, 95.0%, and 58.3%, respectively, while the total nitrogen contents increased by 26.26%, −5.81%, and 19.70%, respectively. Compared with those in CK, the relative growth rates of H. verticillata, V. natans, and C. demersum in T1 increased by 28.4%, 163.1%, and 61.3%, respectively, while those in T2 showed no significant difference except that the growth rates of H. verticillata decreased by 17.7%. The P contents of the three submerged macrophytes increased with the increase of biochar addition, except that there was no significant difference between T2 and CK for H. verticillata. Biochar treatments reduced the biomass of total microbial, bacterial, and fungal phospholipid fatty acids in the sediment for H. verticillata and V. natans, and they increased fungal: bacterial ratios in the low-dose biochar treatments for V. natans and C. demersum. This study demonstrates that the addition of biochar to sediment significantly increased the pH and conductivity, and decreased total P contents in the water. Low-dose biochar treatments were more beneficial for water quality improvements and the growth of submerged macrophytes than high-dose biochar. [Display omitted] •Biochar added to sediment significantly increased the water pH and conductivity.•Low-dose biochar treatments reduced more nitrogen and phosphorus in the water than high-dose biochar did.•Low-dose biochar treatments promoted the growth of three submerged macrophytes more than high-dose biochar did.•The biochar treatments reduced the microbial biomass in the sediment and increased the fungal: bacterial ratios.