Journal of Applied Science and Engineering

Published by Tamkang University Press

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Environmental Engineering

Chutiphan Sangsoda1, Chayanon Sawatdeenarunat2, and Sumeth Wongkiew1,3This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

1Industrial Toxicology and Risk Assessment Graduate Program, Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

2Asian Development College for Community Economy and Technology, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand

3Research Unit (RU) of Waste Utilization and Ecological Risk Assessment, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

 

Received: July 11, 2025
Accepted: November 8, 2025
Publication Date: November 30, 2025

 Copyright The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are cited.


Download Citation: ||https://doi.org/10.6180/jase.2026.26030005  


This study investigated the combined effects of biochar amendments with chicken manure, vermicompost, and wastewater sludge (WWS) on hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) growth, soil nutrient enhancement, heavy metal bioavailability, and microbial community dynamics. Three hemp cultivars, e.g., Rosella, Superwoman S1, and Red Robin, were grown in substrates containing biochar (10% w/w) mixed with different organic amend ments (20% w/w) under controlled greenhouse conditions. The results demonstrated that vermicompost promoted hemp growth better than other amendments. Particularly, vermicompost enhanced the growth of the Superwoman S1 cultivar up to 140 cm. Chicken manure effectively increased the soil nutrient retention but demonstrated variability in cultivar-specific growth responses. The WWS treatments exhibited notable growth enhancement, especially in the Red Robin cultivar, indicating the potential of WWS for sustainable reuse in agricultural and industrial hemp cultivation. The plant roots predominantly accumulated heavy metals, thereby minimizing potential contamination risks in the shoots and leaves. The analysis of root microbial communities identified substrate-specific enrichment of several beneficial bacteria, e.g., Solirubrobacter, Devosia, and Sphingomonas, which play crucial roles in nutrient cycling, plant growth promotion, and heavy metal remediation. The root microbial communities depended on the substrate treatments, further highlighting the unique ecological impact of each amendment. These findings demonstrate the significant role of different organic substrate amendments with biochar in promoting hemp cultivation, improving soil health, mitigating heavy metal risks, and shaping beneficial root microbial communities, thereby offering practical strategies for sustainable agriculture and nutrient recovery.


Keywords: Biochar, Chicken manure, Heavy metal, Vermicompost, Wastewater sludge


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