A Sustainable Approach: Cellulose-Based Biodegradable Water-Retaining Agents Facilitating Mine Restoration in Arid Xinjiang Mining Zones
5 affiliations
- 1School of Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
- 2Xinjiang Energy Co., Ltd., Urumqi 830026, China
- 3School of Chemical Engineering, Minhaj University Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
- 4Administration Committee of Chemical Industry Park, Midong District, Urumqi 831400, China
- 5School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China
Abstract
To address the poor biodegradability and high environmental risks of traditional synthetic water-retaining agents (WRAs), and the vegetation colonization challenge induced by organic matter deficiency in saline-alkali mining areas, a biodegradable WRA (CCM−CMC) was facilely synthesized from natural cellulose (CCM) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with epichlorohydrin (ECH) as a crosslinking agent. An in situ non-topsoil replacement remediation system of “superabsorbent polymer–biological fertilizer–native stress-tolerant plants” was established, and its water absorption-retention performance, biosafety, and ecological remediation efficacy were systematically evaluated. CCM−CMC displayed excellent equilibrium swelling ratios (1218, 443, 305, 148 g/g in distilled water, tap water, mining reclaimed water, and 0.9 wt% NaCl solution, respectively), with a 57.28% weight loss after 30-day soil burial, verifying favorable biodegradability. Soil application of CCM−CMC improved soil water-holding capacity by up to 39.20%, and maximally increased pakchoi germination rate, plant height, and dry weight by 23.33%, 327.4%, and 430.8% under drought stress. Field trials in Xinjiang arid mining areas achieved an over 80% survival rate for over ten native stress-tolerant plants, and significantly ameliorated the soil physicochemical properties. These eco-friendly WRAs and derived remediation technology avoid the high costs and ecological disturbance of topsoil replacement, providing a practical technical strategy for the ecological restoration of arid and highly saline-alkali mining areas.
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BibTeX
@article{li2026sustainable,
title = {{A Sustainable Approach: Cellulose-Based Biodegradable Water-Retaining Agents Facilitating Mine Restoration in Arid Xinjiang Mining Zones}},
author = {Kaigang Li and Naeem Akram and Lei Zhou and Zhanwen Cao and Huishan Zhang and Ali Ahmad and Zhenning Cheng and Aizong Wu and Wenlong Mo and Jia Guo},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/polym18212670},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2670},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A Sustainable Approach: Cellulose-Based Biodegradable Water-Retaining Agents Facilitating Mine Restoration in Arid Xinjiang Mining Zones
AU - Kaigang Li
AU - Naeem Akram
AU - Lei Zhou
AU - Zhanwen Cao
AU - Huishan Zhang
AU - Ali Ahmad
AU - Zhenning Cheng
AU - Aizong Wu
AU - Wenlong Mo
AU - Jia Guo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18212670
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2670
AB - To address the poor biodegradability and high environmental risks of traditional synthetic water-retaining agents (WRAs), and the vegetation colonization challenge induced by organic matter deficiency in saline-alkali mining areas, a biodegradable WRA (CCM−CMC) was facilely synthesized from natural cellulose (CCM) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with epichlorohydrin (ECH) as a crosslinking agent. An in situ non-topsoil replacement remediation system of “superabsorbent polymer–biological fertilizer–native stress-tolerant plants” was established, and its water absorption-retention performance, biosafety, and ecological remediation efficacy were systematically evaluated. CCM−CMC displayed excellent equilibrium swelling ratios (1218, 443, 305, 148 g/g in distilled water, tap water, mining reclaimed water, and 0.9 wt% NaCl solution, respectively), with a 57.28% weight loss after 30-day soil burial, verifying favorable biodegradability. Soil application of CCM−CMC improved soil water-holding capacity by up to 39.20%, and maximally increased pakchoi germination rate, plant height, and dry weight by 23.33%, 327.4%, and 430.8% under drought stress. Field trials in Xinjiang arid mining areas achieved an over 80% survival rate for over ten native stress-tolerant plants, and significantly ameliorated the soil physicochemical properties. These eco-friendly WRAs and derived remediation technology avoid the high costs and ecological disturbance of topsoil replacement, providing a practical technical strategy for the ecological restoration of arid and highly saline-alkali mining areas.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -