Abstract
Smelter waste deposits pose environmental and health threats and require remediation actions. Phytostabilisation techniques, based on soil amendments, help to establish plant cover and limit the secondary emission of potentially toxic trace elements. However, methods to optimize their effectiveness are needed. The application of bacterial inoculants in combination with soil amendments in the remediation of soils and wastes contaminated with metals still has not been extensively tested. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of indigenous (Streptomyces sp., Pseudomonas sp.) and foreign (Streptomyces costaricanus) strains of bacteria in supporting grass growth on extremely contaminated waste slag. They were applied alone and in combination with compost mixed with phosphate fertilizer or iron oxide. The tested strains improved plant growth and increased plant availability of phosphorus. The interaction of the soil amendments and some bacterial strains also stimulated a decrease in the extractability of metals, likely through the phosphate-induced precipitation of lead. Our data show that the effectiveness of soil amendments in the phytostabilisation of heavily polluted smelter deposits can be enhanced by plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB).
Highlights
Smelter waste deposits pose an environmental and health threat worldwide
The results indicate that the tested bacterial strains might have modified metals’ availability—this was observed, especially, for P10, which reduced the extractability of Cd, Zn and Pb
Thewere study confirmed thatallthe amendmentwere of highly metal-contaminated wasteHowwith ever, when calculated separately each combination it became evident compost and phosphate or iron for oxide mixtures helps of to amendments, establish plant growth and imthat inoculation significantly improved plant biomass in the soil without amendments proves soil parameters. It stimulates the biological activity of soil and the presence of and in the soil amended with compost and Fe-oxide
Summary
Smelter waste deposits pose an environmental and health threat worldwide They are sources of secondary emissions of potentially toxic trace elements (TE), such as, for example, cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and arsenic (As). One of potential strategies is to revegetate them and stabilize them by establishing a plant cover (phytostabilisation) Such approach reduces the wind and water erosion of a deposit, as well as the leaching of pollutants, resulting in limited secondary emissions of TE. The traditional revegetation strategy of such waste piles has mainly been based on the intensive application of fertilizers, followed by various mixtures of grasses [1,2] Such approaches have been mostly ineffective over the long term. In wider practice top-soiling, meant to cover waste with clean soil, is not used because high-quality soil material is unavailable [3]
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