Waste Oyster Shell/Graphene Oxide Composite as a Dual-Functional Soil Conditioner and SRF: Impacts on Soil pH and Nutrient Availability

TL;DR

This study creates a composite from oyster shells and graphene oxide that acts as both a soil conditioner and slow-release fertilizer, improving soil pH and plant growth.

Contribution

The novel composite combines waste oyster shells with graphene oxide to serve dual roles as a soil conditioner and slow-release fertilizer.

Findings

OSF-GO composite increased soil pH from 5.38 to 6.41 and improved nutrient availability.

GO at 80 mg/L enhanced lettuce growth metrics but higher concentrations caused oxidative stress.

OSF-GO functions as a dual-functional material for soil remediation and nutrient delivery.

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by a waterless synthesis route to generate GO sheets, which were then applied to coat calcined oyster shell with fertilizer (OSF) pellets, resulting in the creation of an OSF-GO particle. The GO sheets (ID/IG = 0.86) were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, which showed that the GO-coated OSF pellet features a compact coating approximately 13.68 μm thick. SEM and AFM analyses revealed that the GO sheets displayed a monolayer configuration with a crinkled topography (about 0.91 nm). The EDS analysis confirmed that the core was primarily composed of Ca, K, P, O, N, and C elements. The hydroponic experiment results showed that a GO concentration of 80 mg/L significantly enhanced plant height, stem thickness, and root length in loose-leaf lettuce, while higher concentrations induced oxidative stress. In pot experiments, the OSF-GO composite effectively raised the soil pH from 5.38 to 6.41 and improved nutrient availability. OSF-GO composite functions effectively as both a soil conditioner and slow-release fertilizer (SRF), simultaneously remediating degraded soils and optimizing nutrient delivery.

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