Phytostabilization of Zn-Pb ore flotation tailings with Dianthus carthusianorum and Biscutella laevigata after amending with mineral fertilizers or sewage sludge

Krystyna Ciarkowska; Ewa Hanus-Fajerska; Florian Gambuś; Ewa Muszyńska; Tomasz Czech

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.12.028

Phytostabilization of Zn-Pb ore flotation tailings with Dianthus carthusianorum and Biscutella laevigata after amending with mineral fertilizers or sewage sludge

J Environ Manage. 2017 Mar 15:189:75-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.12.028. Epub 2016 Dec 21.

Authors

Krystyna Ciarkowska¹, Ewa Hanus-Fajerska², Florian Gambuś³, Ewa Muszyńska⁴, Tomasz Czech³

Affiliations

¹ Soil Science and Soil Protection Department, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Aleja Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland. Electronic address: k.ciarkowska@ur.krakow.pl.
² Botany and Plant Physiology Unit, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Aleja 29 Listopada 54, 31-120 Krakow, Poland.
³ Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Aleja Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland.
⁴ Department of Botany, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland.

PMID: 28011429
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.12.028

Abstract

Zinc-lead mining wastes remain largely unvegetated and prone to erosion for many years because of phytotoxic levels of residual heavy metals, low nutrient status and poor physical structure. The optimal solution for these areas is to restore plant cover using species which spontaneously appear on the spoils. These species are adapted to the conditions of tailings, and their establishment will promote further vegetation by increasing soil organic matter and development of a soil system capable of supporting the nutrient and water requirements of plants and microoorganisms. The potential of Dianthus carthusianorum and Biscutella laevigata to stabilize mine spoils was analysed in a three-year pot experiment. Post-flotation wastes accumulated after Zn and Pb recovery from ores, were collected from tailings and used as a substrate for plant growth. Seeds for seedling production were collected from plants growing spontaneously on mine tailings. Prior to the establishment of the three-year pot experiment, the substrate was amended with fertilizer NPK or municipal sewage sludge, supplemented with K₂O (SS). Substrate samples were collected for chemical analyses, dehydrogenase and urease activities measurements each year at the end of the growing season. The plants were harvested three years after the amendments. Both tested plant species were equally suitable for revegetation of the tailings. The amendment including both SS and NPK resulted in an increase of C_org, N_t, available P, K, Mg contents, an increase of dehydrogenase (DHA) and urease activities and a decrease in the concentrations of the soluble forms of Zn, Pb and Cd. However, nutrient content, DHA activity and plant biomass were higher with SS than NPK addition. NPK application enhanced the substrate properties after the first growing season, while positive effects of SS use were still observed after three years. A longer-lasting positive effect of SS than NPK application was probably due to the high organic matter content in SS, which was gradually decomposing and releasing nutrients.

Keywords: B. laevigata; D. carthusianorum; Phytostabilization; Sewage sludge; Zn-Pb tailings.

MeSH terms

Biodegradation, Environmental*
Biomass
Brassicaceae / growth & development*
Dianthus / growth & development*
Fertilizers
Lead* / analysis
Mining
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sewage / chemistry
Soil / chemistry
Soil Pollutants / analysis
Zinc* / analysis

Substances

Fertilizers
Sewage
Soil
Soil Pollutants
Phosphorus
Lead
Zinc
Nitrogen
Potassium