Research Projects

Environmental pollution from heavy metals like cadmium (Cd) is a growing global concern, threatening soil health and crop yields. Human activities such as mining, smelting, fertilizer use, and wastewater irrigation have led to elevated Cd levels in agricultural soils. Remediating Cd-contaminated soils is challenging due to varying soil characteristics, contaminant behavior, and site-specific conditions. Conventional physical and chemical methods are often costly, non-targeted, and ecologically disruptive, highlighting the need to understand Cd dynamics for more sustainable mitigation strategies. Sustainable approaches like in situ immobilization using organic amendments offer an eco-friendly alternative by reducing Cd bioavailability via precipitation, complexation, adsorption, and ion exchange mechanisms. Rice husk ash (RHA), a byproduct of rice milling, is generated in large quantities in India, where over 92,000 rice mills produce nearly 22 million tonnes of rice husk annually. RHA, a silica-rich (87-97%), aids in Cd stress mitigation by fortifying plant cell walls, activating antioxidant responses, and supporting Cd detoxification and transport regulation. However, pristine RHA may have limited efficacy in remediating high concentrations of Cd due to its surface properties and functional groups. Calcium (Ca) doped RHA, synthesized using eggshell-derived Ca rich in hydroxyl, carbonyl and carboxyl groups, enhances soil buffering capacity and sustains soil nutrient equilibrium effectively. By leveraging waste-derived materials such as RHA and eggshells for Cd immobilization, this approach promotes waste reuse, affordability, carbon-saving potential, pollution mitigation, and improved soil health, directly supporting the objectives of sustainable development goal i.e., SDG 11 and SDG 12. For phytoremediation, Brassica juncea L. (Indian mustard) will be selected as an appealing hyper-accumulator for accumulating Cd due to its strong resistance against them, high accumulation capacity and significant biomass allocation. The present project proposal begins with the physicochemical and mineralogical characterization of Ca-doped RHA using XRD, SEM-EDX and FTIR to understand its structure-function properties. The amended material will be applied to Cd-contaminated soils to study Cd stabilization in soil via sequential extraction method. Mustard plant trials will measure growth, physiological and antioxidant responses. Molecular markers i.e., Jasmonic Acid (JA), Salicylic Acid (SA), Gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) will be assessed to understand plant signalling responses. GC-MS will be used to analyze changes in the phytochemical profile of seed oil, providing insights into the nutritional and metabolic shifts induced by soil remediation. Through interdisciplinary analysis, this project will generate a holistic understanding of Ca-doped RHA as a multifunctional tool for sustainable agriculture and soil health restoration in contaminated environments.