Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Soil Research Soil Research Society
Soil, land care and environmental research
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Effect of treated zeolite, iron waste, and liming on phytoavailability of Zn, Cu, and Ni in long-term biosolids-amended soils

Z. Talebi Gheshlaghi A B , R. G. McLaren A and J. A. Adams A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Soil and Physical Sciences Group, Agricultural and Life Science Division, P.O. Box 84, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, Canterbury, New Zealand.

B Corresponding author. Email: gititalebi2002@yahoo.com

Australian Journal of Soil Research 46(7) 509-516 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR08092
Submitted: 23 April 2008  Accepted: 28 July 2008   Published: 8 October 2008

Abstract

Two metal-contaminated biosolids-amended soils (moderately and highly contaminated) from the Bromley Sewage Treatment Farm, Christchurch, New Zealand, were used to evaluate the effect of remedial treatments on Ni, Zn, and Cu phytoavailability to sunflower (Helianthus annus L.). Two different chemical treatments (iron waste and treated zeolite), at 2 rates of application (5% and 10% w/w), in combination with 3 rates of a liming material (Ca(OH)2 at 0%, 0.33%, and 0.66% w/w) were evaluated for their metal remediation potential using pot experiments. Under the moderately acidic pH conditions of the original soils (pH 5.4–5.7), neither of the materials had substantial effects on plant metal concentrations, and the application of treated zeolite resulted in a large decrease in plant yield (>60% reduction). However, in the presence of Ca(OH)2, both materials showed some potential for reducing Ni and Zn concentrations in sunflowers compared with Ca(OH)2 alone. The best combinations of zeolite or iron waste with Ca(OH)2 resulted in reductions in shoot Ni concentrations to below the detection limit. For Zn, the best combinations of materials resulted in reductions in sunflower shoot Zn concentrations of 91% for the moderately contaminated soil and 75% for the highly contaminated soil. Combinations of iron waste and Ca(OH)2 in particular resulted in substantial decreases in soluble soil Zn concentrations (>90% reduction) and increases in plant yield (63% increase for highly contaminated soil), attributed to the remediation of Zn toxicity. There was little effect of any treatment on Cu concentration in the sunflower plants.

Additional keywords: copper, nickel, zinc, sunflower, soil pH.


References


Adriano DC (2001) ‘Trace elements in terrestrial environments: biogeochemistry, bioavailability, and risk of metals.’ (Springer-Verlag: New York)

Alloway B, Jackson A (1991) The behaviour of heavy metals in sewage sludge-amended soils. The Science of the Total Environment 100, 151–176.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Armbruster T, Gunter ME (2001) Crystal structure of natural zeolites. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 45, 1–67. open url image1

Baker DE , Senft JP (1995) Copper. In ‘Heavy metals in soils.’ 2nd edn (Ed. BJ Alloway) pp. 179–205. (Blackie Academic and Professional: London)

Benlloch M, Ojeda MA, Ramos J, Rodriguez-Navarro A (1994) Salt sensitivity and low discrimination between potassium and sodium in bean plants. Plant and Soil 166, 117–123.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Bernstein L (1975) Effects of salinity and sodicity on plant growth. Annual Review of Phytopathology 13, 295–312.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Blakemore LC , Searle PL , Daly BK (1987) Methods for chemical analysis of soils. New Zealand Soil Bureau Scientific Report No. 80. NZ Soil Bureau, Lower Hutt, New Zealand.

Blanchard G, Maunaye M, Martin G (1984) Removal of heavy metals from waters by means of natural zeolites. Water Research 18, 1501–1507.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Brown SL, Chaney RL, Lloyd CA, Angel JS, Ryan JA (1996) Relative uptake of cadmium by garden vegetables and fruits grown on long-term biosolids-amended soils. Environmental Science & Technology 30, 3508–3511.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Cabrera C, Gabaldón C, Marzal P (2005) Sorption characteristics of heavy metal ions by a natural zeolite. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology 80, 477–481.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Cunningham JD, Keeney DR, Ryan JA (1975) Phytotoxicity and metal uptake of metals added to soils as inorganic salts or in sewage sludge. Journal of Environmental Quality 4, 460–462. open url image1

Cúrković L, Cerjan-Stefanovic S, Filipan T (1997) Metal ion exchange by natural and modified zeolites. Water Research 31, 1379–1382.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Day PR (1965) Particle fractionation and particle size analysis. In ‘Methods of soil analysis’. Agronomy Monograph No. 9. (Ed. CA Black) pp. 545–567. (American Society of Agronomy: Madison, WI)

Edwards R, Rebedea I, Lepp NW, Lowell AJ (1999) An investigation into the mechanism by which zeolites reduce labile metal concentrations in soils. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 21, 157–173.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Friesl W, Horak O, Wenzel WW (2004) Immobilization of heavy metals in soils by the application of bauxite residues: pot experiments under field conditions. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 167, 54–59.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hamon RE, McLaughlin MJ, Cozens G (2002) Mechanisms of attenuation of metal availability in in situ remediation treatments. Environmental Science & Technology 36, 3991–3996.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Hewitt AE (1993) ‘New Zealand Soil Classification.’ Landcare Research Science Series No. 1. pp. 131 (Manaaki-Whenua Press: Lincoln, NZ)

Jeschke WD (1984) K+–Na+ exchange at cellular membranes, intra-cellular compartmentation of cations, and salt tolerance. In ‘Salinity tolerance in plants. Strategies for crop improvement.’ (Eds RC Staples, GH Toenniessen) pp. 37–66. (John Wiley and Sons: New York)

Jing J, Logan TJ (1992) Effects of sewage sludge cadmium concentration on chemical extractability and plant uptake. Journal of Environmental Quality 21, 73–81. open url image1

Kabata-Pendias A (2004) Soil–plant transfer of trace elements—an environmental issue. Geoderma 122, 143–149.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kabata-Pendias A , Pendias H (2001) ‘Trace elements in soils and plants.’ 3rd edn (CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL)

Kear BS , Gibbs HS , Miller RB (1967) Soils of the downs and plains of Canterbury and North Otago. New Zealand Soil Bureau Bulletin No. 14, NZ Soil Bureau, Lower Hutt, New Zealand.

Khurana N, Chatterjee C (2001) Influence of variable zinc on yield, oil content, and physiology of sunflowers. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 32, 3023–3030.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Knox AS , Seaman JC , Mench MJ , Vangronsveld J (2001) Remediation of metal- and radionuclides-contaminated soils by in situ stabilization techniques. In ‘Environmental restoration of metals-contaminated soils.’ (Ed. IK Iskandar) pp. 21–60. (Lewis Publishers Inc: Boca Raton, FL)

Kovács B, Prokisch J, Györi Z, Kovács AB, Palencsár J (2000) Studies on soil sample preparation for inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry analysis. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 31, 1949–1963. open url image1

Lin J, Jiang W, Liu D (2003) Accumulation of copper by roots, hypocotyls, cotyledons and leaves of sunflower (Helianthus annus L.). Bioresource Technology 86, 151–155.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Lombi E, Hamon RE, McGrath SP, McLaughlin MJ (2003) Lability of Cd, Cu, and Zn in polluted soils treated with lime, beringite, and red mud and identification of a non-labile colloidal fraction of metals using isotopic techniques. Environmental Science & Technology 37, 979–984.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Malliou E, Loizidou M, Spyrellis N (1994) Uptake of lead and cadmium by clinoptilolite. The Science of the Total Environment 149, 139–144.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

McBride MB, Blasiak JJ (1979) Zinc and copper solubility as a function of soil pH in an acid soil. Soil Science Society of America Journal 43, 866–870. open url image1

McLaren RG (2003) Micronutrients and toxic elements. In ‘Handbook of processes and modelling in the soil–plant system.’ (Eds DK Benbi, R Nieder) pp. 589–625. (Haworth Press, Inc.: New York)

Mench MJ, Manceau A, Vangronveld J, Clijsters H, Mocquot B (2000) Capacity of soil amendments in lowering the phytoavailability of sludge-borne zinc. Agronomie 20, 383–397.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

New Zealand Water and Waste Association (2003) ‘Guidelines for the safe application of biosolids to land in New Zealand.’ (New Zealand Water and Wastes Association: Wellington)

Percival HJ , Webb TH , Speir TW (1996) Assessment of background concentrations of selected determinands in Canterbury soils. Landcare Research Contract Report LC9596/133, Landcare Research Ltd, New Zealand.

Pierzynski GM, Schwab AP (1993) Bioavailability of zinc, cadmium, and lead in a metal-contaminated alluvial soil. Journal of Environmental Quality 22, 247–254. open url image1

Pitcher SK, Slade RCT, Ward NI (2004) Heavy metal removal from motorway stormwater using zeolites. The Science of the Total Environment 22, 247–254. open url image1

Rebedea I , Edwards R , Lepp NW , Lovell AJ (1997) Potential applications of synthetic zeolites for in situ land reclamation. In ‘Contaminated soils. Third International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements.’ Paris, 15–19 May 1995. (Ed. R Prost) (CD\data\communic\121.PDF)

Shuman LM (1977) Adsorption of Zn by Fe and Al hydrous oxides as influenced by aging and pH. Soil Science Society of America Journal 41, 703–706. open url image1

Sims R , Sorensen D , Sims J , McLean J , Jurinak J , Wagner K (1986) ‘Contaminated surface soils in-place treatment techniques.’ (Noyes Publications: Park Ridge, NJ)

Spadini L, Manceau A, Schindler PW, Charlet L (1994) Structure and stability of Cd2+ surface complexes on ferric oxides. 1. Results from EXAFS spectroscopy. Journal of Colloid International Science 168, 73–86.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Stevenson FJ (1976) Stability constants of Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ complexes with humic acid. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 40, 665–672. open url image1

Stevenson FJ (1991) Organic matter-micronutrient reactions in soil. In ‘Micronutrients in agriculture.’ 2nd edn (Eds JJ Mortvedt, FR Cox, LM Shuman, RM Welch) pp. 145–186. (Soil Science Society of America, Inc.: Madison, WI)

Vaca Mier M, Calljas RL, Gehr R, Cisneros BEJ, Alvarez PJJ (2000) Heavy metal removal with Mexican clinoptilolite: multi-component ionic exchange. Water Research 35, 373–378.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Vangronsveld J , Cunningham SC (1998) Introduction to the concepts. In ‘Metal-contaminated soils: In situ inactivation and phytorestoration.’ (Eds J Vangronsveld, SC Cunningham) pp. 1–13. (Springer-Verlag: Berlin)

Wu C-H, Lin C-F, Ma H-W, His T-Q (2003) Effect of fulvic acid on the sorption of Cu and Pb onto γ-Al2O3. Water Research 37, 743–752.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Zamzow MJ, Eichbaum BR, Sandgren KR, Shanks DE (1990) Removal of heavy metals and other cations from wastewater using zeolites. Separation Science and Technology 25, 1555–1569.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1