In the study, an attempt was made to create innovative mixtures based on bottom sediment and various types of waste to be tested for use as a substrate in the cultivation of consumer and non-consumer plants. The aim of the study was to assess the chemical and ecotoxicological properties of the growing medium prepared on the basis of bottom sediment (BS) and different carbon rich waste (cellulose waste (CW), biomass ash (BA), coffee hulls (CH), and sludge from water treatment (SW)) with a combination of 75% bottom sediment and 25% waste material. The mixtures had deacidifying properties, significant content of total organic carbon (TOC), the total quantities of macro- and micronutrients, and good sorption properties. The study showed a low total content of heavy metals in the mixtures. Moreover, a low share of the mobile fraction (F1) of metals indicated a low risk related to the metals mobility and potential bioavailability. The highest toxic effect was found in the mixture of bottom sediment and cellulose waste. Heterocypris incongruens was the most sensitive organism to substances present in the tested mixtures. Due to its low toxicity, the mixture of bottom sediment and water treatment sludge (BS+SW) constituted a potentially suitable substrate for its environmental application in agriculture, horticulture (for consumer crops) or land reclamation. Other mixtures exhibited valuable chemical properties (BS + BA, BS + CH BS + CW), but ended up being eco-toxic to the organisms, excluding them from agricultural or horticultural use for consumer crops. The proposed technology, which includes the production of growing medium based on the use of bottom sediment, is a promising way of transforming the sediment from a waste material to a valuable resource, thus enhancing the environmental benefits.
Keywords: Bottom sediment; Ecotoxicity; Growing medium; Mobility of heavy metals; Waste.
Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd.