Abstract
Purpose
Mine soils usually have low nutrient contents and poor fertility conditions which limit the establishment of vegetation and the application of phytomanagement reclamation technologies. Organic materials have been used as soil amendments to reclaim mine soils, as they can provide organic matter and nutrients.
Materials and methods
An amendment mixture made from organic materials (technosol made of waste and holm oak wood biochar) was added in different proportions to a mine soil in order to evaluate its effect on the phytoavailability of nutrients and on the fertility conditions of the mine soil. A greenhouse experiment was carried out in pots with the mine soil amended with the mixture of technosol and biochar and vegetated with Brassica juncea L. plants. The mine soil was collected from the settling pond of a depleted copper mine in Touro (NW Spain). The CaCl2-extractable (phytoavailable) concentration of nutrients and a series of characteristics generally associated with soil fertility were determined in order to study the effect of the organic amendment on the mine soil.
Results and discussion
The results showed that the untreated settling pond soil had an extremely acid pH (2.96), undetectable concentrations of TC, and insufficient levels of TN and K for the growth of most plant species. Amending with technosol and biochar increased the concentration of TN (from an undetectable concentration to 11,400 mg kg−1), K (from 4.22 to 2601 mg kg−1), Mg (from 185 to 2329 mg kg−1), Mn (from 14.56 to 408 mg kg−1) and Na (from 27.66 to 2361 mg kg−1) in the mine soil. The application of wastes also reduced the phytoavailable concentration of Co, Cu, Fe and Ni. However, the concentration of Zn increased, probably due to the Zn provided by technosol components such as sewage sludges.
Conclusions
The application of technosol and biochar to a mine soil improved its fertility conditions, the phytoavailable concentration of nutrients in the soil and generally decreased metal bioavailability, resulting in a reduction of copper toxicity. Organic amending also promoted the re-establishment of vegetation. The use of technosol made of wastes and biochar combined with planting B. juncea could be an economic and environmentally-friendly technique for the reclamation of nutrient-deficient mine soils.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agegnehu G, Bass AM, Nelson PN, Muirhead B, Wright G, Bird MI (2015) Biochar and biochar-compost as soil amendments: effects on peanut yield, soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions in tropical North Queensland, Australia. Agric Ecosyst Environ 213:72–85
Alcantara HJP, Doronila AI, Nicolas M, Ebbs SD, Kolev SD (2015) Growth of selected plant species in biosolids-amended mine tailings. Min Eng 80:25–32
Alvarenga P, Gonçalves AP, Fernandes RM, Varennes A, Vallini G, Duarte E, Cunha-Queda AC (2008) Evaluation of composts and liming materials in the phytostabilization of a mine soil using perennial ryegrass. Sci Total Environ 406:43–56
Bass AM, Bird MI, Kay G, Muirhead B (2016) Soil properties, greenhouse gas emissions and crop yield under compost, biochar and co-composted biochar in two tropical agronomic systems. Sci Total Environ 550:459–470
Bauddh K, Singh RP (2015) Effects of organic and inorganic amendments on bio-accumulation and partitioning of Cd in Brassica juncea and Ricinus communis. Ecolog Eng 74:93–100
Bendfeldt ES, Burger JA, Daniels WL (2001) Quality of amended mine soils after sixteen years. Soil Sci Soc Am J 65:1736–1744
Bolan NS, Kunhikrishnan A, Naidu R (2013) Carbon storage in a heavy clay soil landfill site after biosolid application. Sci Total Environ 465:216–225
Camps Arbestain M, Madinabeitia Z, Anza Hortalà M, Macías-García F, Virgel S, Macías F (2008) Extractability and leachability of heavy metals in Technosols prepared from mixtures of unconsolidated wastes. Waste Manag 28:2653–2666
Codling EE, Mulchi CL, Chaney RL (2007) Grain yield and mineral element composition of maize grown on high phosphorus soils amended with water treatment residual. J Plant Nutr 30:225–240
Dassanayake KB, Jayasinghe GY, Surapaneni A, Hetherington C (2015) A review on alum sludge reuse with special reference to agricultural applications and future challenges. Waste Manag 38:321–335
Debiase G, Montemurro F, Fiore A, Rotolo C, Farrag K, Miccolis A, Brunetti G (2016) Organic amendment and minimum tillage in winter wheat grown in Mediterranean conditions: effects on yield performance, soil fertility and environmental impact. Eur J Agron 75:149–157
Dere AL, Stehouwer RC, Aboukila E, McDonald KE (2012) Nutrient leaching and soil retention in mined land reclaimed with stabilized manure. J Environ Qual 41:2001–2008
Gall JE, Rajakaruna N (2013) The physiology, functional genomics, and applied ecology of heavy metal-tolerant Brassicaceae. In: Lang M (ed) Brassicaceae: characterization, functional genomics and health benefits. Nova Science Publishers, Hauppauge, pp 121–148
Herath I, Kumarathilaka P, Navaratne A, Rajakaruna N, Vithanage M (2015) Immobilization and phytotoxicity reduction of heavy metals in serpentine soil using biochar. J Soils Sediments 15:126–138
Houba VJG, Temminghoff EJM, Gaikhorst GA, Van Vark W (2000) Soil analysis procedures using 0.01 M calcium chloride as extraction reagent. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 31:1299–1396
Kabata-Pendias A (2011) Trace elements in soils and plants. 4th ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton
Khaliq A, Kaleem Abbasi M (2015) Improvements in the physical and chemical characteristics of degraded soils supplemented with organic-inorganic amendments in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, Pakistan. Catena 126:209–219
Kim HS, Kim KR, Ok YS, Lee YK, Kluge B, Wessolek G, Kim WI, Kim K-H (2015) Examination of three different organic waste biochars as soil amendment for metal-contaminated agricultural soils. Water Air Soil Pollut 226:1–11
Komnitsas K, Guo X, Li D (2010) Mapping of soil nutrients in an abandoned Chinese coal mine and waste disposal site. Miner Eng 23(8):627–635
Lamb DT, Heading S, Bolan N, Naidu R (2012) Use of biosolids for phytocapping of landfill soil. Water Air Soil Pollut 223:2695–2705
Macías F, Calvo de Anta R (2009) Niveles genéricos de referencia de metales pesados y otros elementos traza en los suelos de Galicia. Xunta de Galicia, Spain
Marx ES, Hart T, Stevens RG (1999) Soil test interpretation guide (p 7). Oregon, USA
Mourato MP, Moreira IN, Leitão I, Pinto FR, Sales JR, Martins LL (2015) Effect of heavy metals in plants of the genus Brassica. Int J Mol Sci 16(8):17975–17998
Meier S, Curaqueo G, Khan N, Bolan N, Cea M, Eugenia GM, Cornejo P, Ok YS, Borie F (2015) Chicken-manure-derived biochar reduced bioavailability of copper in a contaminated soil. J Soils Sediments. doi:10.1007/s11368-015-1256-6
Neilson S, Rajakaruna N (2012) Roles of rhizospheric processes and plant physiology in applied phytoremediation of contaminated soils using Brassica oilseeds. In: Anjum NA, Ahmad I, Pereira ME, Duarte AC, Umar S, Khan NA (eds) The plant family Brassicaceae, 21. Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, pp 313–330
Ozores-Hampton M, Stansly PA, Salame TP (2011) Soil chemical, physical, and biological properties of a sandy soil subjected to long-term organic amendments. J Sustain Agr 35(3):243–259
Pardo T, Clemente R, Epelde L, Garbisu C, Bernal MP (2014) Evaluation of the phytostabilisation efficiency in a trace elements contaminated soil using soil health indicators. J Hazard Mater 268:68–76
Peltre C, Nyord T, Bruun S, Jensen LS, Magid J (2015) Repeated soil application of organic waste amendments reduces draught force and fuel consumption for soil tillage. Agric Ecosyst Environ 211:94–101
Pérez-De-Mora A, Madejón P, Burgos P, Cabrera F, Lepp NW, Madejón E (2011) Phytostabilization of semiarid soils residually contaminated with trace elements using by-products: sustainability and risks. Environ Pollut 159(10):3018–3027
Porta J (1986) Técnicas y experimentos en Edafología. Collegi Oficial D’Enginyers Agronoms de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
Puig CG, Álvarez-Iglesias L, Reigosa MJ, Pedrol N (2013) Eucalyptus globulus Leaves incorporated as green manure for weed control in maize. Weed Sci 61:154–161
Rodríguez-Vila A, Asensio V, Forján R, Covelo EF (2015) Chemical fractionation of Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in a mine soil amended with compost and biochar and vegetated with Brassica juncea L. J Geochem Explor 158:74–81
Rodríguez-Vila A, Asensio V, Forján R, Covelo EF (2016) Assessing the influence of technosol and biochar amendments combined with Brassica juncea L. on the fractionation of Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in a polluted mine soil. J Soils Sediments 16:339–348
Schomberg HH, Endale DM, Jenkins MB, Sharpe RR, Fisher DS, Cabrera ML, McCracken DV (2009) Soil test nutrient changes induced by poultry litter under conventional tillage and no-tillage. Soil Sci Soc Am J 73(1):154–163
Shaheen SM, Tsadilas CD, Rinklebe J (2013) A review of the distribution coefficient of trace elements in soils: influence of sorption system, element characteristics, and soil colloidal properties. Adv Colloid Interf Sci 201–202:43–56
Shaheen SM, Tsadilas CD, Rinklebe J (2015) Immobilization of soil copper using organic and inorganic amendments. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 178:112–117
USDA (1998) Soil quality indicators : pH
Van Ginneken L, Meers E, Guisson R, Ruttens A, Elst K, Tack FMG, Vangronsveld J, Diels L, Dejonghe W (2007) Phytoremediation for heavy metal-contaminated soils combined with bioenergy production. J Environ Eng Landsc Manag 15:227–236
Wilson-Kokes L, Skousen J (2014) Nutrient concentrations in tree leaves on brown and gray reclaimed mine soils in West Virginia. Sci Total Environ 481:418–424
Zeng G, Wu H, Liang J, Guo S, Huang L, Xu P, Liu Y, Yuan Y, He X, He Y (2015) Efficiency of biochar and compost (or composting) combined amendments for reducing Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb bioavailability, mobility and ecological risk in wetland soil. RSC Adv 5(44):34541–34548
Zhao R, Jiang D, Coles N, Wu J (2015) Effects of biochar on the acidity of a loamy clay soil under different incubation conditions. J Soils Sediments 15:1919–1926
Zornoza R, Acosta JA, Faz A, Bååth E (2016) Microbial growth and community structure in acid mine soils after addition of different amendments for soil reclamation. Geoderma 272:64–72
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their comments, which helped to improve the quality of this article.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
The present research did not involve any human participants and/or animals.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Responsible editor: Hailong Wang
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rodríguez-Vila, A., Forján, R., Guedes, R.S. et al. Nutrient phytoavailability in a mine soil amended with technosol and biochar and vegetated with Brassica juncea . J Soils Sediments 17, 1653–1661 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1643-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1643-7