Sludge application is a reliable practice to ameliorate soil fertility. However, repetitive sludge addition represents a potential soil contamination source with heavy metals, which must be extracted. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of Brassica napus to remove metals from soils amended with sludge, and to study the effect of EDTA on this process. Seedlings were cultivated in presence of sludge combined or not with EDTA. Results showed that sludge ameliorate significantly biomass production. This effect was accompanied with an increase in Pb, Zn and Mn shoot concentrations. EDTA application does not affect significantly plant growth. However, this chelator enhances shoot metals accumulation. It's therefore concluded that sludge has a beneficial effect on soil fertility, B. napus can be used for the decontamination of affected soils and that the EDTA addition increases the ability of B. napus to accumulate heavy metals.
Published by Elsevier Ltd.