Integrated Analysis\nof Pollution Characteristic and\nEcotoxicological Effect Reveals the Fate of Lithium in Soil-Plant\nSystems: A Challenge to Global Sustainability

Lithium, as an emerging contaminant, lacks sufficient\ninformation\nregarding its environmental and ecotoxicological implications within\nsoil-plant systems. Employing maize, wheat, pea, and water spinach,\nwe conducted a thorough investigation utilizing a multispecies, multiparameter,\nand multitechnique approach to assess the pollution characteristics\nand ecotoxicological effects of lithium. The findings suggested that\nlithium might persist in an amorphous state, altering surface functional\ngroups and chemical bonds, although semiquantitative analysis was\nunattainable. Notably, lithium demonstrated high mobility, with a\nmild acid-soluble fraction accounting for 29.66–97.02% of the\ntotal, while a minor quantity of exogenous lithium tended to be a\nresidual fraction. Plant analysis revealed that in 10–80 mg\nLi/kg soils lithium significantly enhanced certain growth parameters\nof maize and pea, and the calculated LC50 values for aerial part length\nacross the four plant species varied from 173.58 to 315.63 mg Li/kg.\nLithium accumulation in the leaves was up to 1127.61–4719.22\nmg/kg, with its inorganic form accounting for 18.60–94.59%,\nand the cytoplasm fraction (38.24–89.70%) predominantly harbored\nlithium. Furthermore, the model displayed that growth stimulation\nmight be attributed to the influence of lithium on phytohormone levels.\nWater spinach exhibited superior accumulation capacity and tolerance\nto lithium stress and was a promising candidate for phytoremediation\nstrategies. Our findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding\nof lithium’s environmental behavior within soil-plant systems,\nparticularly within the context of global initiatives toward carbon\nneutrality.