Innovative Soil Remediation Using Recycled Glass Beads Combined with Natural Antifungals and Zinc Oxide
摘要
Soil contamination poses a significant challenge in agriculture, especially with pathogens like Colletotrichum gloeosporioides causing anthracnose, which persists in soil and plant debris, threatening crop cycles. This study developed a sustainable solution by combining recycled glass-based porous beads with herbal extracts and zinc oxide (ZnO) for soil remediation. The optimal glass mixture ratio was 88:5:7 (glass powder: diatomite: dolomite), resulting in a largest pore size of 614.14 μm and a pore volume of 5.35 × 10⁻2 cm3/g. Marigold flowers, extracted using the Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) method with 95% ethanol, exhibited the highest antifungal properties. The PEF method yielded more crude extract (14.01 ± 0.45 g for neem and 5.58 ± 1.41 g for marigold) than traditional shaking. The 55,000 ppm marigold extract achieved 68.42 ± 0.20% inhibition of C. gloeosporioides growth. When combined with ZnO and coated onto porous beads, the inhibition rate was 34.42 ± 0.23%. This innovative approach offers a sustainable strategy to reduce soil contamination, contributing to environmental development under the BCG Model by utilizing local plants and recycled materials.