Abstract

This study was carried out to understand the long-term effects of organic waste treatments on the fate of heavy metals in soils originated from the organic wastes and consequent uptake of heavy metals by plant, together with examination of changes in soil properties and plant growth performance. In this study, the soils treated with three different organic wastes (municipal sewage sludge, alcohol fermentation processing sludge, pig manure compost) at three different rates (12.5, 25.0, 50.0 ton <TEX>$ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$</TEX>) for 7 years (1994 - 2000) were used. To see the long-term effect, plant growth study and soil examination were conducted twice in 2000 and 2010, respectively. There was no additional treatments of organic wastes for 10 years after the organic waste treatment for 7 years. Compared to plant growth examination conducted in 2000 using radish (Raphanus sativus cv. sodamaltari), it appeared that height, root length and diameter, fresh weight of radish grown in 2010 decreased in the plots treated with municipal sewage sludge and alcohol fermentation processing sludge and that the extent of decrease was higher with increase of sludge application rates. On the other hand, pig compost treatment increased plant height, root length and diameter, fresh weight with increasing application rates. Cu and Pb concentrations in radish root and leaves increased in 2010 compared to those in 2000 while Ni concentrations in root and leaves decreased. Zn concentration was increased only in the soils treated with pig manure compost. Multiple regression analysis among heavy metal species fractions in soils, soil pH, and metal concentrations in radish root and leaves indicated that the metal uptake by radish was governed mainly by the soil pH and subsequent increase of available heavy metal fractions in soils with organic waste treatments.

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