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Transfer of Cd, Pb, Ra and U from Phosphogypsum Amended Soils to Tomato Plants

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Abstract

About 170 million tons of phosphogypsum (PG) are annually generated worldwide as a by-product of phosphoric acid factories. Agricultural uses of PG could become the main sink for this waste, which usually contains significant radionuclide (from the 238U-series) and toxic metals concentrations. To study PG effects on pollutant uptake by crops, a completely randomised greenhouse experiment was carried out growing Lycopersicum esculentum Mill L. on a reclaimed marsh soil amended with three PG rates (treatments), corresponding to zero (control without PG application), one, three and ten times the typical PG rates used in SW Spain (20 Mg ha−1). The concentrations of Cd, Pb, U (by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy) and 226Ra and 210Po (by γ-spectrometry and α-counting, respectively) were determined in soil, vegetal tissue and draining water. Cadmium concentrations in fruit increased with PG rates, reaching 44 ± 7 μg kg−1 formula weight with ten PG rates (being 50 μg kg−1 the maximum allowed concentration by EC 1881/2006 regulation). Cd transfer factors in non-edible parts were as high as 4.8 ± 0.5 (dry weight (d.w.)), two orders of magnitude higher than values found for lead, lead, uranium and radium concentrations in fruit remained below the corresponding detection limits—0.5 and 0.25 mg kg−1 and 0.6 mBq kg−1, respectively (in a d.w. basis). 238U (up to 7 μg kg−1 d.w.) and 210Po (up to 0.74 Bq kg−1 d.w.) could be measured in some fruit samples by α-spectrometry. Overall, the concentrations of these metals and radionuclides in the draining water accounted for less than 1% of the amount applied with PG.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are deeply grateful to Dr. S. Hurtado and Dr. M. Villa (Service of Radioisotopes, CITIUS, University of Seville) for the radionuclide radiometric analyses. This work was funded by ENRESA (Spanish Public Corporation of Radioactive Residues) and by the IFAPA-C039 project from the regional Andalusia government. Authors wish also to thank to the Agriculture Cooperatives “Las Marismas” and “La Amistad” for making available some facilities and the experimental site.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dpto. Física Aplicada I, EUITA, Universidad de Sevilla, Ctra. Utrera s/n, 41013, Seville, Spain

    S. Enamorado, J. M. Abril & R. Periáñez

  2. Dpto. Fisica Aplicada I, EUP, Universidad de Sevilla, C/ Virgen de Africa 7, 41012, Sevilla, Spain

    J. L. Mas

  3. Servicio General de Investigación Agraria, EUITA, Universidad de Sevilla, Ctra. Utrera s/n, 41013, Seville, Spain

    O. Polvillo

  4. Dpto. Ciencias Agroforestales, EUITA, Universidad de Sevilla, Ctra. Utrera s/n, 41013, Seville, Spain

    A. Delgado & J. M. Quintero

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  1. S. Enamorado
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  2. J. M. Abril
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Correspondence to J. L. Mas.

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Enamorado, S., Abril, J.M., Mas, J.L. et al. Transfer of Cd, Pb, Ra and U from Phosphogypsum Amended Soils to Tomato Plants. Water Air Soil Pollut 203, 65–77 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-009-9992-0

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