Effects of treatment agents during acid washing and pH neutralization on the fertility of heavy metal-impacted dredged marine sediment as plant-growing soil

Abstract

The present study was aimed at investigating the effects of different acids and pH neutralizers applied to dredged marine sediment for the treatment of heavy metals, and the resulting influence on the sediment quality as a plant growth medium. The inspection of barley germination in the dredged marine sediment revealed that residual salts are critical plant stressors whose adverse effects exceed those exhibited by high-level heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons present in the sediment. Acid washing and pH neutralization reduced not only the heavy metal contents but also the sediment salinity (by factors of 6.1-9.5), resulting in 100% germination of barley. For acid-washed and calcium-oxide-neutralized sediment, the barley growth was comparable to that observed in untreated and water washed sediment despite factors of 5.2-8.0 greater sediment salinity in the former. This result represents the protective effect of residual calcium against sodium and chloride toxicity. Water washing of acid-washed and pH-neutralized sediments further enhanced barley growth owing to the reduction in osmotic pressure. This study showed the effect of different sediment-washing reagents on the product quality. It also indicated the significance of balancing the enhancement of product quality and economic cost of further treatment requirements.

Keywords: Dredged marine sediment; Plant-growing soil; Salinity; Salt composition; Treatment agents.