Abstract
The reclamation of abandoned mining heaps rich in potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is critical for the environment. We carried out a laboratory experiment studying the effects of the addition of four natural sorbents (biochar, bentonite, chicken manure and organo-zeolitic substrate) to soils contaminated with PTEs, predominantly Cu, As and Sb, on the germination and growth of the autochthonous grasses Agrostis capillaris, A. stolonifera, Festuca rubra and Poa pratensis. The experiment used Petri dish tests with water extracts of contaminated soil and soil neutralised with the four sorbents. Standard indexes of the germination process were used (germination percentage, time required for 50% germination index, speed of emergence), and different values were found depending on the plant species and sorbent used. However, the percentage of seeds germinating was lower for each sorbent compared to the control (distilled water). The fresh mass values were positively stimulated by all sorbents. Electrolyte leakage was the highest in seedlings watered with an extract of untreated soil from the heap compared to extracts from treated soils and the control. This can be interpreted as eliminating the harmful effects of increased potentially toxic element (PTE) contents by sorbents, which can be useful in remediation processes.
Highlights
Extreme habitats include areas once occupied by the mining industry, which left behind mine heaps and various types of toxic waste
Our results showed that each of the water extracts with sorbents had a positive effect on the values of the fresh mass of grass species
Our study found the highest values of tissue water content for seedlings watered with OS, ChM and B, compared to the control (Table 5)
Summary
Extreme habitats include areas once occupied by the mining industry, which left behind mine heaps and various types of toxic waste. These habitats have very specific plant cover because they are often characterised by a lack of soil and nutrients (including humus) and often a constant lack of moisture [1,2]. Many PTEs are indispensable for plants, they can block their development at higher concentrations. This negative effect depends on the PTE’s bioavailability in soil solutions, which is influenced by pH, organic matter content, microbial activity and cation exchange capacity of the soil. The contents of toxic substances is a colonisation barrier for many species of plants, even those with a relatively wide ecological scale [3,4,5,6]
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