Amending an As/Pb contaminated soil with biochar, compost and iron grit: effect on Salix viminalis growth, root proteome profiles and metal(loid) accumulation indexes

Abstract There is currently a large amount of research being done into the phytoremediation of polluted soils. Plant installation in contaminated soils may require the application of soil amendments, such as biochar, compost and/or iron grit, which can improve the soil conditions and reduce the metal (loid) phytoavailability and mobility. The beneficial effects of these amendments on soil properties, plant growth and metal (loid) accumulation ability have already been described, although their effect on the plants response machinery has been poorly studied. This study aimed to assess the effect of these amendments on Salix viminalis growth and metal (loid) accumulation, as well as elucidating associated molecular mechanisms. The results showed that the amendment applications improved plant growth by three fold, except for the biochar plus iron combination. It also revealed that metal (loid)s were not effectively translocated from the roots to the shoots (translocation factors