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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Environ. Sci.
Sec. Toxicology, Pollution and the Environment
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2024.1539964
This article is part of the Research Topic Recent Advances in Volatile Organic Compounds, Heavy Metals, Microplastics, and Solid Wastes in Ecosystems View all 5 articles

Preparation of phosphogypsum ecological concrete and study on its phytogenic properties

Provisionally accepted
Rongxin Liu Rongxin Liu 1*Chunduo Liu Chunduo Liu 1Jiang Du Jiang Du 1Cheng Wang Cheng Wang 1Yonghui Yuan Yonghui Yuan 1Xin Zhang Xin Zhang 2
  • 1 China Overseas Construction Limited, Shenzhen, China
  • 2 Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    In this study, vegetative eco-concrete was prepared based on electrolytic manganese slag/phosphogypsum composite cementitious material as binder and clayey ceramic grains as aggregate. Based on the conditions of porosity and water-cement ratio, the optimal proportion of phosphogypsum-based eco-concrete was investigated, and concrete specimens with good performance were prepared (14 d compressive strength: 3.49 MPa, permeability coefficient: 1.37, total porosity: 24.5 %, Improved compressive strength by 15% and water retention by 20%). The nutrient matrix of vegetative eco-concrete with different phosphogypsum/electrolytic manganese slag ratios was designed and modified, and the vegetative performance of the eco-concrete was investigated using four-season grass, ryegrass, clippings and clover as the grass species. The results showed that the eco-concrete based on phosphogypsum as raw material was rich in nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which could meet the requirements of plant growth, Supporting plant growth with a 30% increase in root length and 25% improvement in biomass compared to control concrete. The addition of improvers had a good passivation effect on heavy metals such as As, Cu, Cr, Zn, Sb and Pb in the phytogenic substrate. The adaptability of different grass species to the planting substrate was Four Seasons > ryegrass > shepherd's purse > clover, alfalfa, dogbane; the application of electrolytic manganese slag substrate had the best performance of planting, and the planting substrate with the application of improver inhibited the growth of plants. The study addresses the challenge of using phosphogypsum as a binder in concrete, which has traditionally faced issues with strength and stability. By optimizing the mix ratio and curing process, we were able to achieve a concrete material that not only performs well mechanically but also supports plant growth.

    Keywords: Ecological concrete, Electrolytic manganese slag, Phytogenic performance, phosphogypsum, Planting substrate

    Received: 05 Dec 2024; Accepted: 23 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Liu, Liu, Du, Wang, Yuan and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Rongxin Liu, China Overseas Construction Limited, Shenzhen, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.