Abstract
The utilization of coal fly ash (CFA) as a soil conditioner has been a research hotspot in recent years. In this paper, the continuity and stability of the yield-increasing effect of a fly ash-based soil conditioner were investigated through field trials for three consecutive years. The yield-increasing effect and applicability were also investigated by planting a variety of crops in different types of soil. Field test results revealed that the new fly ash-based soil conditioner had wide adaptability and stability under the condition of reducing the application of traditional fertilizers by 20%. For corns grown in castano-cinnamon soil and dark brown soil, the application of the new fly ash-based soil conditioner for three consecutive years has steadily increased the yield by more than 10%. The yield of wheat planted in castano-cinnamon soil also increased by 15%. Additionally, considering that heavy metals (HMs) contained in the fly ash-based soil conditioner may cause environmental contamination, this paper calculated and analyzed the bio-concentration factor (BCF) and the translocation factor (TF) of Cr, As, Cd, Hg and Pb in the corn experimental fields. The results showed that the five heavy metals were not significantly enriched in various parts of the corn stalk after application of the soil conditioner, and there was temporarily no environmental risk in terms of returning straws to the field or raising livestock.
Highlights
Coal fly ash (CFA), a solid residue produced in coal-fired power stations [1], has a high annual output as well as a negative impact on the environment in China, which has become an urgent issue to be solved
The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Field tests on different types of soils and crops for three consecutive years show that new fly ash-based soil conditioner has broad adaptability and stability
For corn grown in castano-cinnamon soil and dark brown soil, the application of new fly ash-based soil conditioner steadily and continuously increased corn yield by more than 10% for three years
Summary
Coal fly ash (CFA), a solid residue produced in coal-fired power stations [1], has a high annual output as well as a negative impact on the environment in China, which has become an urgent issue to be solved. Lots of studies have shown that the application of fly ash-based soil conditioner will not enhance the accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in various plant tissues, and the application of fly ash-based soil conditioner in a safe ratio (less than 8%) is beneficial to plant growth and development [15,16]. These studies are limited to laboratory research, and the risk of CFA heavy metals contamination and large-scale field trials are rarely reported. It is considered that the fly ash-based conditioner contains a small amount of heavy metals; this paper calculated and analyzed the BCF and translocation factor (TF) of Cr, As, Cd, Hg and Pb in the corn experimental field and assessed their environmental contamination risk
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