Evaluation of Coal Fly Ash-Based Synthetic Aggregates as a Soil Ameliorant for the Low Productive Acidic Red Soil

Abstract

A potential new way of producing coal fly ash-based granular synthetic aggregates (CSA) using waste coal fly ash (CFA), paper waste, lime, and gypsum and their utilization as a soil ameliorant to improve crop production in low productive acidic red soil in Okinawa, Japan were studied. The red soil was amended with CSA at three different mixing ratios (i.e., CSA/soil—1:1, 1:5, and 1:10) for the cultivation of Brassica rapa var. Pervidis commonly known as Komatsuna, and the physico-chemical parameters of CSA–soil mixtures and plant growth were analyzed. Incorporation of CSA to the red soil improved the physical and chemical properties of the soil such as water holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, pH, exchangeable cation concentration, cation exchange capacity, particle size distribution, soil pH, electrical conductivity, and carbon content. CSA amendment at ratios of 1:1, 1:5, and 1:10 decreased bulk density by 29.39%, 14.28% and 11.11%, respectively, compared to the original red soil. The acidic pH of the red soil (5.12) was increased to 7.13 and 6.37 by CSA/soil ratios of 1:5 and 1:10, respectively. CSA amendment in soil at 1:5 ratio increased water holding capacity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, carbon, potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca) content by 0.06 kg kg−1, ten times, 15.95 mS m−1, 1.76 cmolc kg−1, 6.07 g kg−1, 0.42 g kg−1, 0.24 g kg−1, and 3.38 g kg−1, respectively, in comparison to the original red soil. Heavy metal contents of the CSA–soil mixtures were below the maximum pollutant concentrations suggested by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Moreover, Na, K, Mg, Ca, copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) contents in the CSA–soil mixtures increased in comparison with the original red soil. CSA amendment in soil at the ratio of 1:5 and 1:10 resulted in an increase in plant height and plant fresh weight by three and 12 times, respectively, and there was increase in N, K, Mg, Ca, Cu, and Zn contents of the shoots. The results suggest that utilization of eccentric CSA as soil amendment agent can be regarded as an effective waste management practice.