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Phytoextraction of cadmium and zinc by Salix from soil historically amended with sewage sludge

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Abstract

Short rotation coppice (SRC) such as Salix spp. can be grown as an energy crop and offers some potential for economic and practical phytoextraction of marginally contaminated arable soil. This study tested various soil amendments intended to increase soil metal availability to Salix, investigated the distribution of metal between different tree fractions and assessed the viability of phytoextraction using SRC on arable soils. Several Salix genotypes were grown in field trials over 4 years. Cd and Zn concentrations were generally ranked in the order leaves > bark > wood. Metal concentrations in wood increased towards the top of the willow stems, whereas concentrations in leaves showed the opposite trend. None of the amendments significantly increased uptake of Zn by willow. However, in response to a range of soil HCl treatments, mean Cd concentrations in stems and leaves were 112% and 130% of control values. Data from the current experiment, and previous studies, were combined to develop a predictive model of Cd and Zn stem uptake by Salix. The minimum biological concentration factor (BCF) required to achieve a prescribed soil metal target was also calculated based on typical proportions of bioavailable Cd in sludge-amended soils for a 25-year Salix rotation. The best Salix genotypes investigated achieved less than 20% of the uptake rate required to remove one third of the soil Cd content (equivalent to the average isotopically exchangeable Cd fraction in soils at the study site).

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Maria Greger of Stockholm University, Nils-Ove Bertholdsson and Stig Larsson of SW Seed Ltd for providing willow cuttings and staff on the Salix Project at Cardiff University for useful advice and guidance. We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Lawes Agricultural Trust and the U.K. Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council under their Bioremediation Link Programme (project Biorem 11). We also thank our industrial partners for their assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biosciences, Biology Building, University Park, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG7 2RD, UK

    A. P. Maxted, H. M. West, N. M. J. Crout & S. D. Young

  2. School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK

    C. R. Black

  3. Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK

    S. P. Mcgrath

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  1. A. P. Maxted
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  2. C. R. Black
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  3. H. M. West
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  4. N. M. J. Crout
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  5. S. P. Mcgrath
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  6. S. D. Young
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Correspondence to S. D. Young.

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Maxted, A.P., Black, C.R., West, H.M. et al. Phytoextraction of cadmium and zinc by Salix from soil historically amended with sewage sludge. Plant Soil 290, 157–172 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-006-9149-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-006-9149-5

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