Elucidating the Potential of Biochar-Bentonite Composite and Kaolinite-Based Seed Balls for the Remediation of Coal Mining Impacted Heavy Metals Contaminated Soil

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

I suggest to describe the Kaolin clay characteristics.

Why don't compare the granulometry and the clay concentration?

It is normal the decreasing mobility in presence of clay. I suggest to separate graphs according to the amount of bentonite and amount of biochar concentration. It is important to understand if the immobilization  or phytotoxicity of metals is higher because of clay or biochar. Why not to try a long time, like 1 year? Why not to try a leaching process maybe during an intense precipitation?

Author Response

Authors would like to thank the reviewer for his/her valuable comments to improve the overall scientific quality of the manuscript. The authors have incorporated all the suggestions within the manuscript as suggested by the reviewer and responded to the questions raised by the reviewer. Please refer to the attached Reviewer comment response table.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

 

My comments about the article are as follows

 

Figure 1 should be under the graphic. And Figure 1 map should be with scale, coordinates, and high quality.

Line (106-111): Should be add reference

Line 145: HCL should be correct as HCl

Line 207 “Chlorophyll a, and Cb is chlorophyll b” must be written in uppercase or lowercase letters

Table 1 : In the writing of the table title, attention should be paid to capitalization.

When writing compounds, numbers should be written in lower case.( KMnO4 should be correct and NH4) in Table 1

 

Figure 2 should be of good quality

 

The article is suitable for publication after minor revision in the general review. Spelling mistakes shoulde be corrected

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

The authors would like to thank the reviewer for his/her valuable comments to improve the overall scientific quality of the manuscript. The authors have included all the suggestion in the manuscript given by the reviewer. The authors also have answered to all the queries raised by the reviewer. For reference, kindly see the Authors response table attached below.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Congratulations for the article, it is very well written, and demonstrate the extent of work. The coal mine areas are very impacted, and the vegetal cover is very important to recovery of damaged areas.

Line 116: What depth the soil was sampled? and what amount of soil was collected?

Line 141: What depth the soil was sampled? and what amount of soil was collected? The waste coal, in the most of times, content coal mine in your composition. However, the line 141 the author claims that organic matter is measured by loss ignition, and the coal fraction is considered as organic matter?

Attention: Attention: Word "briefly" appears 10 times in text. I suggest change some theirs;

Line 178: I suggest change the word "above" by "previously";

Lines 185 and 187 – what is correct, the poly house or play house?

Line 195: the 85% acetone, is a solution? What source of acetone and the name according to IUPAC?

Line 208: Soot or Shoot is correct?

Line 274: add value to compare. What values the soil fertile are? Extend to another cases.

Line 416: The results can be explained by pH change and the solubility of metals as oxides?

Line 490. I suggest that the author inform the value or percentage of reductions.

Conclusion ok,

Abstract, Ok

Title Ok

Author Response

The authors would like to thank the reviewer for his/her valuable comments to improve the overall scientific quality of the manuscript. The authors have included all the suggestion in the manuscript given by the reviewer. The authors also have answered to all the queries raised by the reviewer. For reference, kindly see the Authors response table attached below.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf