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Changes of biochemical properties and heavy metal bioavailability in soil treated with natural liming materials

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Abstract

This study evaluated the efficiency of naturally occurring lime-based waste materials (oyster shells, eggshells, and mussel shells) on immobilization of selected heavy metals (Cd and Pb) and a metalloid (As) in a contaminated agricultural soil. A 30-day incubation experiment was performed using soil mixture with natural liming materials or calcite (CaCO3) at 0, 1, 3, 5, and 10 wt %. Soil biochemical properties including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable cations, organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), microbial populations, and enzyme activities were determined to ensure the changes in soil quality during incubation. The results showed that the application of natural liming materials led to an increase in soil pH similar to that of CaCO3. Soil concentrations of Cd, Pb, and As extracted with 0.1 or 1 M HCl, and diethylene triamine pentacetic acid (DTPA) were decreased significantly after adding liming materials, accompanied by increased microbial population and enzyme activities of dehydrogenase, phosphatase, β-glucosidase, and arylsulfatase. Additionally, eggshells and mussel shells induced significant increases in OM and TN in the soil. Application of natural liming materials offers a cost-effective way to immobilize heavy metals and metalloids in soils.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Basic Science Research Foundation through the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea, funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2012R1A1B3001409). This study was also partly supported by the Korea Ministry of Environment as “The GAIA project” in Korea. Instrumental analysis was performed at the Korea Basic Science Institute, the Institute of Environmental Research and the Central Laboratory of Kangwon National University in Korea. Gratitude is expressed to Dr. Hesham Mohamed Abdouat Washington State University who reviewed an early version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 200-701, Korea

    Samy A. M. Abd El-Azeem, Mahtab Ahmad, Adel R. A. Usman, Sang-Eun Oh, Sang Soo Lee & Yong Sik Ok

  2. Department of Agronomy, Oriental Medicine Resource, Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology, Jinju, 660-758, Korea

    Kwon-Rae Kim

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  1. Samy A. M. Abd El-Azeem
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  2. Mahtab Ahmad
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  3. Adel R. A. Usman
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Correspondence to Sang Soo Lee or Yong Sik Ok.

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Abd El-Azeem, S.A.M., Ahmad, M., Usman, A.R.A. et al. Changes of biochemical properties and heavy metal bioavailability in soil treated with natural liming materials. Environ Earth Sci 70, 3411–3420 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2410-3

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