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Assessment of trace element phytoavailability in compost amended soils using different methodologies

  • Phytoremediation of Polluted Soils: Recent Progress and Developments
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study evaluates the effects of two soil amendments and the growth of two plant species on labile trace element (TE) fractions in two different contaminated soils.

Materials and methods

We studied the effects of two organic amendments (biosolid compost and alperujo compost) and two plant species (Medicago polymorpha and Poa annua) on pH, total organic carbon (TOC), and TE availability, by three extraction methods (CaCl2 aqueous solution, soil pore water (SPW), and diffusive gradient in thin film (DGT)), in two contaminated soils with contrasting pH values (Aznalcázar, 6.53, and Vicario, 3.48) in a 118-day pot experiment. The effects of the composts on labile TE fractions were compared with element concentrations in plants.

Results and discussion

No relevant effects of amendments and plants were found on the physical and chemical characteristics of the Aznalcázar soil. However, the addition of amendments was essential for plant species growing in the acid Vicario soil. In this soil, amendments and plant growth increased pH and TOC and reduced substantially TE bioavailability. Although absolute values of bioavailable TE contents obtained by the three methods were very different and followed the trend CaCl2 extraction > SPW > DGT, these values follow a similar behavior in the two studied soils and for the two species.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate that the application of organic amendments are suitable for remediating acid TE-contaminated soils, for the establishment of a vegetation cover on previously bare soils for reducing wind and water erosion and for reducing labile TE fractions to prevent leaching of pollutants into subsoil or groundwater layers. Moreover, the results obtained in this study pointed out that under microcosm conditions, the three methods tested (CaCl2 extraction, SPW, and DGT) to predict TE bioavailability were highly correlated.

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Acknowledgments

AGL2011-23617 was supported by the CICYT of the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain and FEDER (EU). L. Ciadamidaro thanks the CSIC for funding her grant (JAE-PreDoc).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC, Avenida Reina Mercedes, 10, P.O. Box 1052, 41080, Seville, Spain

    Lisa Ciadamidaro, Paula Madejón & Engracia Madejón

  2. Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, BOKU, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Konrad Lorenz Straße 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria

    Markus Puschenreiter, Jakob Santner & Walter W. Wenzel

Authors
  1. Lisa Ciadamidaro
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  2. Markus Puschenreiter
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  3. Jakob Santner
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  4. Walter W. Wenzel
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  5. Paula Madejón
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  6. Engracia Madejón
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Correspondence to Paula Madejón.

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Responsible editor: Maria Manuela Abreu

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Ciadamidaro, L., Puschenreiter, M., Santner, J. et al. Assessment of trace element phytoavailability in compost amended soils using different methodologies. J Soils Sediments 17, 1251–1261 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1283-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1283-3

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