Co-Application of Sewage Sludge, Chinese Medicinal Herbal Residue and Biochar Attenuated Accumulation and Translocation of Antibiotics in Soils and Crops

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

 

I recommend this manuscript for publication in the journal Sustainability with minor corrections and additions.

The manuscript is to the point and the layout is correct and clear.

The use of the bibliography is correct. Too many authors' works have been cited (especially Min PAN). It is necessary to limit self-citation to an acceptable minimum. The authors can use references from top world experts on the subject. There are many available and the use of this range of self-citations is not acceptable.

TITLE -  seems interesting; refers to the content of the manuscript; this way the title is too long and too detailed; it should be shortened.

ABSTRACT - is  aimed at the main issues addressed in the paper; defines the aim, subject of research, methods, results.

INTRODUCTION - is  a proper introduction to the topic of work; it does  clearly specify the subject matter; information on the concentration of antibiotics in treated effluents and treated sewage sludge should be added.

MATERIALS AND METHODS - has little novelty; no information on the number of measurements made; the procedure for the representativeness of the samples has not been described; this should be supplemented (section 2.3 to 2.4;); lack of justification for the assumed concentration of antibiotics.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION - are satisfactory; the description of tables and figures is clear and understandable; section 3.6 is missing or incorrectly numbered.

CONCLUSIONS - do not fully reflect the content of the article; the innovativeness of the conducted research was not emphasized. Too early to conclude that “the influences likely to disappear in the long term”.

REFERENCES - are adequate, correct and in line with the previous chapters.

Author Response

Please find our responses in the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript entitled ''The Co-application of Sewage Sludge, Chinese Medicinal Herbal Residues and Biochar to Attenuate the Accumulation and Translocation of Antibiotics in Soil and Edible Crops'' is an interesting study on soil remediation issues. However, there are some important points that need to be corrected. 

The title is too long. please make it shorter.

Abstarct

lines 15-16: ''Sewage sludge (SL), Chinese medicinal herbal residues (CMHR) and the raw materials of biochar (BC), are normally treated as wastes.'' -> What do you mean by this? Is biochar normally treated as waste? As far as I know, making biochar is itself a way to waste management! If you mean feedstock, it's ok, but biochar is not waste!

line 25: 3 μg/L -> 3 μg L-1 (-1 superscript). Check this point throughout the text.

Introduction

lines 46-50: Give readers a background of sewage sludge. How much sewage sludge globally has the potential to reuse? Here is a useful reference you can add it here: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912983

Methods

line 103-105: ''Two types of soil amendments were prepared, ...'' -> Rephrase it

line 107-109: Its NOT clear if you bought biochar or produced it! Rephrase this section and make it clearer.

The figures have not of good quality. Please replace them with better ones.

Results and discussion are well presented.

Good Luck!

Some small points but totally fine!

Author Response

Please find our responses in the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf