Efficacy of Biosolids in Assisted Phytostabilization of Metalliferous Acidic Sandy Soils with Five Grass Species
The role of sewage sludge as an immobilising agent in the phytostabilization of metal-contaminated soil was evaluated using five grass species viz., Dactylis glomerata L., Festuca arundinacea Schreb., F. rubra L., Lolium perenne L., L. westerwoldicum
L. The function of metal immobilization was investigated by monitoring pH, Eh and Cd, Pb, and Zn levels in column experiment over a period of 5-months. Grasses grown on sewage sludge-amendments produced high biomass in comparison to controls. A significant reduction in metal uptake by plants
was also observed as a result of sewage sludge application, which was attributed to decreased bioavailability through soil stabilisation. We have observed that the sludge amendment decreased metal bioavailability and concentrations in soil at a depth of 25 cm, in contrast to untreated
columns, where metal concentrations in the soil solution were very high.
Keywords: column experiment; grass species; phytostabilisation; redox potential; sewage sludge; soil solution; trace elements
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: 1: Institute of Environmental Engineering, Czestochowa University of Technology, Brzeznicka, Czestochowa, Poland 2: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
Publication date: 03 June 2014
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