ABSTRACT Bioaugmentation with plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) has been recognized to improve the efficiency of phytoremediation on cadmium (Cd) polluted soils, yet the mechanism of PGPB action on the soil system remains unclear. Here, a meta‐analysis was conducted to quantitatively assess the effects of PGPB inoculation on the Cd‐polluted soil amelioration and analyze its determinants. The results revealed that PGPB inoculation induced a further reduction of 12.01% in total Cd content of rhizosphere soil, and available Cd content was reduced by 9.30%. Soil quality was also effectively improved, as evidenced by the increase in soil nutrient contents such as soil organic matter (16.70%), dissolved organic carbon (31.57%), as well as nitrogen (23.39% to 36.77%), phosphorus (24.11%), and potassium (11.42%) in available forms. Not only that, soil enzyme activities that regulate the cycling processes of relevant elements were also enhanced. It is noteworthy that the diversity and abundance of the rhizosphere microbial community were decreased, potentially attributable to the selective recruitment of functionally specific bacteria. The effects varied among different PGPB genera on soil Cd availability, and the appropriate inoculum amount was essential for improving the phytoremediation efficiency. In addition, soil pH may be an important driver for PGPB to ameliorate Cd‐polluted soil. These results underscore the significance of PGPB in assisting phytoremediation on polluted soils, and more research is needed in the future to elucidate the impact of PGPB on the soil ecological environment.
Li et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: