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Stabilized municipal sewage sludge addition to improve properties of an acid mine soil for plant growth

  • POTENTIALLY HARMFUL ELEMENTS IN SOIL-PLANT INTERACTIONS
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Degraded soils, such as those encountered in areas of mine activities, need to be ameliorated by liming to correct soil acidity and by addition of organic inputs to improve soil properties and fertility.

Materials and methods

Non-amended mine soil and soil amended with stabilized sewage sludge were incubated for 45 days. Soil physicochemical and biological indicators were periodically measured along incubation and other enzyme activities at the end of incubation. In improved soils, a study of plant development in 250-g pots was carried out with three vegetal species: tomato, rye grass and ahipa. Germination and mortality rates, biomass production and photosynthetic pigments were measured.

Results and discussion

Soil incubation with sewage sludge slightly increased soil pH and led to an enhancement of soil electrical conductivity, organic carbon and dehydrogenase activity, especially for the higher doses (5 and 10%). However soil respiration was more promoted with the 2% dose, pointing to a possible toxic effect of the sludge. At the end of incubation, physicochemical and biological properties were in general enhanced. Biomass production was improved in tomato and rye grass by sewage sludge addition (more at the 2% dose), whilst ahipa growth was not affected by sewage sludge treatments. Tomato mortality reached 73% with high sludge doses (10%).

Conclusions

According to this set of parameters, amendment with sewage sludge of a limed acid mine soil would be considered as a good strategy for soil amelioration in view of plant establishment and development.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to Proyecto de Excelencia, Junta de Andalucía (P10-RNM5814), cofinanced with European FEDER-FSE funds. The technical assistance of Isabel Cañadas is gratefully acknowledged. EMASAGRA is thanked for the kind supply of stabilized sewage sludges. Carbocal was kindly provided by Juan Castellano Márquez.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Avda. Palmeras, 4, 18100, Armilla, Granada, Spain

    M. D. Mingorance & Aránzazu Peña

  2. Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012, Seville, Spain

    S. Rossini Oliva, Benito Valdés, F. J. Pina Gata & I. Guzmán

  3. Department of Plant Biotechnology, IRNAS-CSIC, Avda. Reina Mercedes 10, 41012, Seville, Spain

    Eduardo O. Leidi

  4. Unidad Asociada CSIC-US, “Estudio Integral del Medio Físico y Biótico”, Seville, Spain

    M. D. Mingorance, S. Rossini Oliva, Benito Valdés, F. J. Pina Gata & Aránzazu Peña

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  1. M. D. Mingorance
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  2. S. Rossini Oliva
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  7. Aránzazu Peña
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Correspondence to Aránzazu Peña.

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Responsible editor: Hailong Wang

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Mingorance, M.D., Rossini Oliva, S., Valdés, B. et al. Stabilized municipal sewage sludge addition to improve properties of an acid mine soil for plant growth. J Soils Sediments 14, 703–712 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0743-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0743-x

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